Narasimha Das is on his way to feed 169,379 hungry children. Das is in charge of a kitchen in Vrindaban. The town is about a three-hour drive from India’s capital, New Delhi. Das gets to work at 3:00 a.m. Thirty workers are already working to make tens of thousands of rounds of bread. It will be brought to 1,516 schools in and around Vrindaban.
A Growing Problem
Going to school is difficult for more than 13 million children in India. They must go to work instead, or go hungry. That’s why India began the Mid-Day Meal Scheme, the largest school-lunch program in the world. A free lunch encourages children to come to school and gives them the energy they need for learning. The program began in the 1960s.
The kitchen in Vrindaban is run by the Akshaya Patra Foundation. It is one of the lunch program’s biggest partners. “Just $11.50 can feed one child for an entire year,” said Madhu Sridhar, president of the Akshaya Patra Foundation.
Lunch Is Served!
The Akshaya Patra food truck arrives at Gopalgarh Primary School. Since the program started, the number of underweight children has gone down. The children get foods they need — as long as they finish what’s on their plates.
1.The kitchen in Vrindaban supplies food to _____.
A．the poor B．the old
C．college students D．school children
2.Why is it difficult for children to go to school in India?
A．Because there are not enough teachers.
B．Because there are not enough schools.
C．Because they have to work to make money.
D．Because their parents refuse to send them to school.
3.Which of the following about the Mid-Day Meal Scheme is NOT true?
A．It is run by Narasimha Das.
B．It has been carried out for about 50 years.
C．It is to encourage children to go to school.
D．It is the largest school-lunch program in the world.
Justin Bieber used to be an ordinary Canadian boy, but his life totally changed in 2008. With his great musical talent, this seventeen-year-old boy has become a superstar in the music industry.
Justin Drew Bieber was born in 1994 in Stratford, Ontario and was raised by his single mother. Bieber learned to play musical instruments when he was very young. In 2007, he took part in a local singing competition in his hometown, and he did it just for fun. He never took singing lessons before but surprisingly he placed second in the competition. Then, with the help of his mother, he uploaded (上传) videos of him singing on a website and they successfully attracted the attention of thousands of viewers. His videos got popular through word of mouth and some of them have received up to 10,000,000 views.
Justin Bieber would have never gotten a career in the music business without his videos. Scooter Braun, a former marketing executive (主管) of So So Def Recordings, had watched Bieber’s videos and he was impressed by the boy’s talent. Braun then contacted Bieber and he flew the boy into Atlanta seven months after the first video was posted. Bieber showed his talent in singing as well as his ability in playing musical instruments. He then got a record deal.
In 2009, Justin Bieber released (发行) his first single “One Time” while he was recording the debut album (首张专辑). The single “One Time” tells a story about love. This song had success not only in Canada and the US, but also in the international market. Then he released his debut album “My World 2.0” in 2010 and the song “Baby” became the lead single. This album successfully entered the Top Ten Charts in seven countries. In June 2010, he started his first world tour in Hartford, Connecticut. One month later, he started recording his second album.
1.Justin Bieber’s career in music began to take off when _____.
A．he met with Scooter Braun
B．he released his debut album
C．he won second place in a competition
D．his singing videos were uploaded to a website
2.It can be inferred from the text that Justin Bieber _____.
A．owed his success to good luck
B．showed a gift for music when he was young
C．is the youngest superstar ever in the music industry
D．released his debut album with the help of Scooter Braun
3.What do we learn about Justin Bieber’s “One Time” according to the text?
A．It is about love and was released in 2010.
B．It attracted the world’s attention after released.
C．It successfully entered the Top Ten Charts in seven countries.
D．It is the lead single of his debut album “My World 2.0”.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A．Justin Bieber’s journey to success
B．Lucky boy — Justin Bieber
C．What made Justin Bieber a singer?
D．Secrets of Justin Bieber’s success
Parents and kids today dress alike, listen to the same music, and are friends. Is this a good thing? Sometimes, when Mr. Ballmer and his 16-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, listen to rock music together and talk about interests they both enjoy, such as pop culture, he remembers his more distant relationship with his parents when he was a teenager.
“I would never have said to my mom, ‘Hey, the new Weezer album is really great. How do you like it?’” says Ballmer. “There was just a complete gap in taste.”
Music was not the only gulf. From clothing and hairstyles to activities and expectations, earlier generations of parents and children often appeared to move in separate orbits.
Today, the generation gap has not disappeared, but it is getting narrow in many families. Conversations on subjects such as sex and drugs would not have taken place a generation ago. Now they are comfortable and common. And parent—child activities, from shopping to sports, involve a feeling of trust and friendship that can continue into adulthood.
No wonder greeting cards today carry the message, “To my mother, my best friend.”
But family experts warn that the new equality can also result in less respect for parents. “There’s still a lot of strictness and authority on the part of parents out there, but there is a change happening,” says Kerrie, a psychology professor at Lebanon Valley College. “In the middle of that change, there is a lot of confusion among parents.”
Family researchers offer a variety of reasons for these evolving roles and attitudes. They see the 1960s as a turning point. Great cultural changes led to more open communication and a more democratic(民主的) process that encourages everyone to have a say.
“My parents were on the ‘before’ side of that change, but today’s parents, the 40-year-olds, were on the ‘after’ side,” explains Mr. Ballmer. “It’s not something easily done by parents these days, because life is more difficult to understand or deal with, but sharing interests does make it more fun to be a parent now.”
1.The underlined word gulf in Para.3 most probably means _________.
A．interest B．distance C．difference D．separation
2.Which of the following shows that the generation gap is disappearing?
A．Parents help their children develop interests in more activities.
B．Parents put more trust in their children’s abilities.
C．Parents and children talk more about sex and drugs.
D．Parents share more interests with their children.
3.The change in today’s parent-child relationship is _________.
A．more confusion among parents
B．new equality between parents and children
C．1ess respect for parents from children
D．more strictness and authority on the part of parents
4.By saying “today’s parents, the 40-year-olds, were on the ‘after’ side.” the author means that today’s parents _________.
A．follow the change
B．can set a limit to the change
C．fail to take the change seriously
D．have much difficulty changing their ideas
When I was a child, I often dreamed of the time when I could leave home and escape to the city. We lived on a farm, in the winter especially, we were quite cut off from the outside world. As soon as I left school, I packed my bags and moved to the capital. However, I soon discovered that my life has its _______ too.
One big disadvantage is money. It costs so much to go out, not to mention basics like food and housing. Another disadvantage is pollution. I suffer from asthma(哮喘), and the air is so that I am afraid to go outside. Then there is the problem of traveling round. Although I have a car, I seldom use it because of the traffic jams. One choice is to go by bicycle, but that can be quite dangerous.
Of course there are advantages. First, there is so much to do in the city, whatever your tastes in culture or entertainment(娱乐活动). Besides, there are wonderful jobs and greater chances of moving to a more important job or position. Finally, if you like shopping, the variety of goods is very surprising --- and , what is more, shops are often only a short walk away.
Is life better then, in the city? Perhaps it is , when you are in your teens(十几岁)or twenties. However, as you get older, and especially if you have small children, the peace of the countryside may seem preferable. I certainly hope to move back there soon.
1.Which of the following words can be put into the blank in the first paragraph?
A．dangers B．adventures C．problems D．fun
2.What was the writer always thinking about when he was a child?
A．Staying on the farm. B．Moving to the countryside.
C．Leaving home for the city. D．Running away from the school.
3.Which of the following is true about the writer?
A．He is very old now. B．He is in good health.
C．He prefers driving a car. D．He lives in the city now.
4. In the passage, the writer tries to __________.
A．express his opinions about way of life B．describe his life in the countryside
C．an interest in the outside world D．persuade the reader to live in the city
“Now ,”Mrs. Virginia DeView said, smiling, “we are going to discover our professions .”
The class seems to be greatly surprised. Our professions? We were only 13 and 14 years old! The teacher must be _36 _. “Yes, you will all be searching for your future 37 . Each of you will have to 38 someone in your field, plus give an oral report.”
Each day in her class, Virginia DeView reminded us about this. Finally, I picked print journalism. This _39_ I had to go to interview a true-blue newspaper reporter. I was extremely nervous. I sat down in front of him_40_ able to speak. He looked at me and said, “Did you bring a pencil or pen?”
I shook my head. “How about some 41_ ?” I shook my head again .
Finally , I thought he realized I was 42 , and I got my first big tip as a 43 : “Never,never go anywhere without a pen and paper. You never know what you’ll run into. ”After a few days, I gave my oral report totally from 44 in class. I got an A on the entire project.
Years later, I was in college looking around for a new career, but with no success. Then I _45 _Virginia DeView and my desire at 13 to be a journalist. And I called my parents. They didn’t __46__me. They just reminded me how competitive the field was and 47 all my life I had to run away from competition. This was true. But journalism did something to me; it was in my blood. _48__gave me the freedom to go up to total strangers and ask what was 49 .
For the past 12 years, I’ve had the most satisfying reporting career, __50 __ stories from murders to airplane crashes and 51 choosing my strongest area. 52 _ I went to pick up my phone one day, an incredible wave of memories hit me and I realized that had it not been __53__Virginia DeView, I would not be sitting at that desk.
I get 54 all the time: “How did you pick journalism?”
“Well, you see, there was a teacher…”I just wish I could 55 her.
1. A．good B．mad C．careless D．curious
2. A．university B．family C．professions D．life
3. A．interview B．find out C．admire D．learn from
4. A．expressed B．ordered C．expected D．meant
5. A．hardly B．nearly C．naturally D．eagerly
6. A．drink B．newspapers C．preparations D．paper
7. A．satisfied B．comfortable C．terrified D．sorry
8. A．student B．journalist C．teacher D．writer
9. A．research B．books C．imagination D．memory
10. A．called B．recognized C．remembered D．visited
11. A．answer B．promise C．stop D．persuade
12. A．how B．whether C．why D．when
13. A．It B．Virginia DeView C．My parents D．My oral report
14. A．breaking in B．getting down C．falling off D．going on
15. A．making up B．listening to C．covering D．writing
16. A．of course B．finally C．doubtfully D．in all
17. A．When B．As long as C．Once D．On condition
18. A．for B．with C．of D．to
19. A．hurt B．excited C．disappointed D．asked
20. A．respect B．support C．thank D．favor
They received demands that the work ________ at once.
A．must be done B．would be done C．had been done D．be done
