⑴ Every language has its own special words and expressions. And a story can be told about each of them. Hot is a simple, easily understood word. So are most of the expressions made with the word hot. But not always, as we shall see.
⑵ The words hot potato, for example, give you no idea at all to the meaning of the expression, hot potato. The potato is popular and many Americans like baked potatoes. Imagine trying to carry a hot potato in your hand. It would be difficult, even painful, to do so. Some publicly argued problems are highly emotional. The problems must be treated carefully, or they will be difficult and painful if an elected official has to deal with them. One such hot potato is taxes. Calling for higher taxes can mean defeat for a politician. And yet, if taxes are not raised, some very popular government programs could be cut. And that also can make a politician very unpopular. The questions must be dealt with carefully, the same way you would handle any other hot potato.
⑶ Another expression is not so hot. If you ask someone how she feels, she may answer “not so hot”. What she means is she does not feel well. Not so hot also is a way of saying you do not really like something. You may tell a friend that the new play you saw last night is not so hot. That means ____________________________.
⑷ A hot shot is a person, often a young person, who thinks he can do anything. He is very sure he can succeed. But often he fails. The expression was born in the military forces. A hot shot was a soldier who fired without aiming carefully.
⑸ Hot is a word that is often used to talk about anger. A person who becomes angry easily is called a hothead. An angry person’s neck often becomes red. We say he is hot under the collar.
1.What is the text mainly about? (no more than 8 words)
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2.Fill in the blank in Paragraph 3 with a proper sentence. ( no more than 8 words)
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3.Which sentence in the text is the closest in meaning to the following one?
As you would deal with other difficult problems, you must be careful with these ones.
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4.List three situations where “hot” expressions can be used according to the text. (no more than 30 words)
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5.Translate the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 into Chinese.
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Now I know that we black people are much more likely to have high blood pressure and diabetes(糖尿病) than white people. And they often lead to heart attacks and other untreated diseases. For example, black people are three to four times more likely than white people to have high blood pressure and twice as likely as the white population to die of a stroke(中风).
New research has found out the surprisingly high levels of salt in many of black people’s favorite meals. I stopped putting extra salt in my food at the table long ago and I try to cut down on the salt I use in cooking. The recommended daily level of salt for adults is 6 grams. It is easy to see that if you avoid processed(加工过的) foods and use salt in your cooking within the limit, you won’t exceed the daily level.
The research showed how much salt there is in some foods that we buy from restaurants and takeaways. An average salad with rice and peas has 6.2 grams of salt. This is more salt than you are supposed to eat for the whole day.
A researcher talked about the importance of home cooking rather than take-outs. At home, he pointed out, not only can you hold control of the salt shaker, but also you can create tasty food which is low on salt. The researcher later provided curry goat and rice and peas. They were low on salt, but completely delicious.
I do not suppose Jamaicans are going to stop buying takeaways soon. But if you suffer from high blood pressure, it is probably better not to buy them often.
1.The underlined word “they” in Paragraph 1 refers to ______.
A．white people B．black people
C．untreated diseases D．high blood pressure and diabetes
2.What has the new research found out according to Paragraph 2?
A．Black people take in too much salt.
B．Black people’s meals are very special.
C．Processed foods have too much salt in them.
D．6 grams of salt per day is enough for an adult.
3.What would the writer probably suggest black people do?
A．Order no salad in a restaurant. B．Take in no salt for several days.
C．Stop cooking their favorite meals. D．Eat less takeaways.
4.The researcher provided curry goat and rice and peas in order to ______.
A．thank those who came to his home for his research
B．let people know that eating less salt makes one healthier
C．show that tasty food with less salt can be made at home
D．prove the less salt the food has the more delicious it is
5.What would be the best title for this passage?
A．Watch the salt. B．Take care, black people.
C．Say no to takeaways. D．Say no to high blood pressure.
Pets are popular. They’re good listeners, they encourage us to exercise, and they’re always on our side when we argue with others. They can bring people comfort and pleasure.
But it is important to keep in mind that pets can carry diseases that can make you sick. Washing your hands often — especially after you touch, feed, or clean up a pet — is the best way to keep yourself healthy and prevent the spread of disease. Be sure to clean your fingernails carefully every time you wash.
You also can protect your health by wearing gloves while cleaning animal cages or cat litter boxes. Avoid washing your pet in the bathtub(浴缸), but if you do, always disinfect(消毒) the tub immediately afterward.
Be sure to bring your pet to the hospital for examinations every two weeks or month and whenever your pet is sick or injured.
You can do a few other things to keep yourself and your pet healthy. Only give your pet food that has been planned ahead for them. It’s not a good idea to share your food with your pet. Human food (like chocolate) can make animals sick. Never feed your pet raw(生的) meat because it can carry germs(细菌) that cause serious illness.
And funny as it can be to see your dog or cat drinking from the toilet, don’t let pets do this. It’s bad for your pet’s health! Give them clean, fresh water to drink at all times.
Never give milk to cats. The only milk an animal should drink is from its mother. Cow’s milk is not for pets, especially for cats, as it makes them sick.
Finally, some animals aren’t pets. Don’t take in a wild or abandoned(被抛弃的) animal as a pet because it may have diseases that could make you or your family sick. Instead, turn to an animal rescue group that is trained in helping sick or abandoned animals.
1.The first paragraph mainly tells us that pets can ______.
A．be great friends B．bring us pleasure
C．help us keep healthy D．do harm to us
2.To keep healthy, the author may be against ______.
A．washing your fingernails after touching your pet
B．wearing gloves when cleaning your pet’s cage
C．washing your pet in the bathtub
D．bringing your pet for examinations regularly
3.The underlined word “it” in Para.7 refers to ______.
A．the cow B．the mother cat C．cow’s milk D．mother cat’s milk
4.Which is the RIGHT way to feed your pet?
A．Sharing your chocolate with your dog.
B．Letting your dog drink from the toilet.
C．Feeding your little cat with raw meat.
D．Giving your cat cooked fish.
5.According to the text, when you meet an abandoned dog, you should ______.
A．call an animal rescue group B．bring it back to your home
C．give it first aid（急救）in time D．help to find its owner
One day I heard that one of my dear friends had lost his mother. This made me sad, for my friend was very close to his mother. He had been by her side as she traveled through her long and hard journey with cancer. At this time, many memories about my loved ones that had passed away came flooding to me. Finally these memories passed, but it was really sad to think that my friend would have to go through the pain.
Three times I tried to write an email to my friend and three times words failed me. I am a person who is not often lost for words and I decided to have a sleep. Upon waking up I could hardly wait for my computer to work, the words I needed were there. I was still left with a heavy heart although I had sent an email.
They say that everything in this universe is balanced(平衡的) and indeed it is. Three days later, I received his reply letter. I was happy to hear that he’d been admitted to(录取) Cambridge University. It served as a gentle reminder for me that my friend would be okay and that life would go on.
Everything in life is balanced; the lowest feelings change places with the highest feelings. Without the lows, we would never appreciate the highs. No matter how dark the clouds seem to be, the sunshine is always there and just waiting for the opportunity to shine through.
1.When the author learnt her friend had lost his mother, she ______.
A．gave him some money B．wrote an email to him
C．went to visit him D．went for a journey with him
2.What good news did the author’s friend receive?
A．He received the author’s email.
B．He was told that life would go on.
C．He would go to Cambridge University.
D．His life would go back to normal again
3.Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?
A．The author wrote four emails to her friend.
B．The mother of the author’s friend died from cancer.
C．The author’s friend is a teacher in Cambridge University.
D．The author felt relaxed after sending the email.
4.From the text, we can learn that the author is ______.
A．sincere and warm-hearted
B．proud and confident
C．serious and friendly
D．funny and responsible
5.The author aims to tell us that ______.
A．life is not fair to everybody
B．time waits for no man
C．everyone has good and bad times in life
D．where there is a will, there is a way
As the father of a student, I have experienced first hand what a great teacher is. My son was in the 4th grade last year, and he had a teacher called Miss Green. I believe that when he is an adult he will surely look back on her as the best teacher he has ever had.
My son has attention deficit disorder(注意力缺损症) that makes it a little more difficult for him to learn. She was able to change her teaching methods for him so that he could keep up with the rest of the class. As a result, he got straight As on many subjects. She regarded her class as a family and they even had their own class song. She would often have them sing it to encourage them and develop a team spirit for them. When she saw that they were no longer listening carefully to what she was teaching, she would have them close their textbooks, stand up all around the room and throw around a small football. This helped them clear their minds and then focus on the lesson again. Besides, she was quick to reply to any phone calls or emails from us and got rid of our worries about children quickly.
When my son went to the 5th grade this year, we happened to pass her classroom. When she saw my son, her face lit up(露出喜色) and she came out and hugged him. She generally loves all of the children in her classroom and that love really shows. I can only pray(祈祷) that my son will continue to get teachers just like her for the rest of his school years.
1.With the teacher’s help, the writer’s son ______.
A．became the best student in his class
B．was interested in singing songs
C．quickly finished his 4th grade lessons
D．improved his grades greatly
2.Which of the following is NOT true about Miss Green?
A．She regarded the students as members of a family.
B．She had special ways to help students study.
C．She was good at teaching football and music.
D．She usually made a quick reply to parents’ emails.
3.The underlined phrases “focus on” in Paragraph 2 means ______.
A．look forward to B．pay attention to
C．get away from D．take care of
4.We can learn from the text that ______.
A．Miss Green was the best teacher at the school
B．all the students in the school liked Miss Green
C．Miss Green didn’t teach the writer’s son in the 5th grade
D．the writer’s son had many teachers like Miss Green
5.In the text, the writer mainly tells us ______.
A．what his son studied at school
B．his son once had a good teacher
C．how to be a good and popular teacher
D．a teacher who liked playing with students
It was a cloudy Saturday afternoon. A group of birds were having a great time
36 food and playing on the main road. All of a sudden, a big truck sped through… A 37 thing happened. Birds could 38 , too. Although this bird had already 39 , another bird flew over to her immediately, just like a family member, unable to accept the 40 .
Not long after that, another car passed by quickly, 41 the dead bird’s body to whirl(旋转) with the wind. The male bird 42 the movement. As if she was still alive, he 43 flew beside her again. He stared at her as if he was asking, “ 44 are you not getting up?”
45 , she was no longer able to hear him. At the same time, he was trying to lift her up. He, 46 , was unable to bear the burden. Another car soon passed by. He quickly 47 . Once the car had gone, he came down again.
Although other birds told him that it was 48 , he never gave up. He was trying his best to lift her up to 49 her flying again. Another car passed by, and her dead body whirled again as if she was still 50 and trying to fly. He had used all of his 51 , but he was too weak.
The 52 , who was taking photos of the scene, said he couldn’t shoot any more. He was so 53 that the living bird was going to be hurt by passing cars. So he picked up he dead bird and left it at the 54 . The living one still stayed at a nearby tree as if he was crying with his singing and 55 to leave.
1. A．packing up B．caring for C．searching for D．setting down
2. A．strange B．normal C．funny D．sad
3. A．disagree B．feel C．fly D．spread
4. A．disappeared B．dropped C．died D．escaped
5. A．story B．truth C．gift D．past
6. A．shaking B．holding C．sending D．causing
7. A．stopped B．disturbed C．noticed D．feared
8. A．worriedly B．quickly C．bravely D．surprisingly
9. A．Where B．When C．How D．Why
10. A．Unfortunately B．Gradually C．Finally D．Honestly
11. A．in return B．of course C．by accident D．on purpose
12. A．sat down B．looked up C．showed up D．flew off
13. A．simple B．boring C．useless D．important
14. A．see B．keep C．catch D．think
15. A．lovely B．complete C．beautiful D．alive
16. A．confidence B．energy C．space D．time
17. A．owner B．bird C．killer D．photographer
18. A．hopeful B．surprised C．worried D．shocked
19. A．top B．center C．roadside D．car
20. A．required B．pretended C．tried D．refused
