An African-American man named John Henry was the hero of former slaves and the people who built the railroads in the US in the 19th century.
John Henry was born a slave. He was known for his strength. Many people say he represents the spirit of growth in America during that period.
John Henry grew up in a world that did not let children stay children for long. Before he was six years old, he was carrying stones for workers building a nearby railroad. By the time John Henry was a young man, he was one of the best railroad workers in the country.
John Henry was asked to lead workers on a hard project, creating a tunnel through a mountain. The project required about 1,000 laborers and lasted three years. Hundreds of men became sick as a result of the hot weather and tiredness. John Henry was the strongest and fastest man. Concerned his friends might lose their jobs, he picked up their hammers and began doing their work. He worked day and night, rarely stopping to have a rest.
One day, a salesman came to the work area with a new drilling machine powered by steam. He said it could drill holes faster than twelve men working together.
John Henry looked at the machine and saw images of the future. He saw machines taking the place of America’s best laborers. He saw himself and his friends unemployed and sanding by a road, asking for food. He decided he would never let the machine take their jobs. Therefore, a competition between a man and a machine began .At first, the steam-powered drill worked twice faster. Then, John Henry started working with a hammer in each hand. He worked faster and faster. People cheered when the machine broke down and was pulled away. But they were sad to find John Henry fall to the ground, with blood spilling all around, and still holding a hammer in one of his hands.“I beat them,”he said. Then he took his last breath.
1.What does the underlined part in Paragraph 3 most probably mean?
A. Many children in those days starved to death.
B. Children at that time grew much faster.
C. Children in those days had to work like adults.
D. Children at that time couldn’t stay together.
2.Why did hundreds of workers become sick?
A. Because they had to work long hours.
B. Because the weather was hot and they were tired.
C. Because the project was too hard.
D. Because they didn’t have time to eat.
3.John Henry helped do his friends’ work .
A. because he was the strongest and fastest man
B. for fear that his friends would lose their jobs
C. so that they could regain their strength
D. in order be the hero of the railroad workers
4.Which of the following best describes John Henry?
A. Kind and determined. B. Cautious and considerate.
C. Brave and strict. D. Hardworking and stubborn.
Think about the different ways that people use the wind. You can use it to fly a kite or to sail a boat. Wind is one of our cleanest and richest power sources, as well as one of the oldest. Evidence shows that windmills(风车) began to be used in ancient Iran back in the seventh century BC. They were first introduced to Europe during the 1100s, when armies returned from the Middle East with knowledge of using wind power.
For many centuries, people used windmills to grind(碾碎) wheat into flour or pump water from deep underground. When electricity was discovered in the late 1800s, people living in remote areas began to use them to produce electricity. This allowed them to have electric lights and radios. However, by the 1940s when electricity was available to people in almost all areas of the United States, windmills were rarely used.
During the 1970s, people started becoming concerned about the pollution that is created when coal and gas are burned to produce electricity. People also realized that the supply of coal and gas would not last forever. Then, wind was rediscovered, though it means higher cost. Today, there is a global movement to supply more and more of our electricity through the use of wind.
1.From the text we know that windmills________.
A. were invented by European armies
B. have a history of more than 2,800 years
C. used to supply power to radio in remote areas
D. have rarely been used since electricity was discovered
2.What was a new use for wind power in the late 19th century?
A. Sailing a boat.
B. Producing electricity.
C. Grinding wheat into flour.
D. Pumping water from underground.
3.One of the reasons wind was rediscovered in the 1970s is that_______.
A. wind power is cleaner
B. it is one of the oldest power sources.
C. it was cheaper to create energy from wind
D. the supply of coal and gas failed to meet needs
4.What would the author probably discuss in the paragraph that follows?
A. The advantages of wind power.
B. The design of wind power plants.
C. The worldwide movement to save energy.
D. The global trend towards producing power from wind.
It was a very cold evening. The old man’s beard was almost icy. He was waiting for a ____ across the river. The wait seemed ____. The old man sat on the ground waiting for quite a long time.
____, he saw several horsemen coming. He watched them silently and let the first one pass by without even asking. Another passed by，and then another, till the last rider came near the old man. The old man caught the rider’s ____ and said, “Sir, would you ____ giving me a ride to the other side?”
____ his horse, the rider replied, “Of course not.” But it was so cold that the old man’s body was almost ____. He could not get ____ the ground. The horseman helped the old man onto his horse. He took the old man not just across the river, ____ to the old man’s home.
As they ___ the old man’s house, the horseman asked, “Sir, you let several other riders pass by without even asking. Then I ____ and you asked me for a ride at once. Why? ____I had said ‘no’ and left you there?”
The old man looked the rider straight in the eye, and said, “I looked ____ the eyes of the other riders. I quickly saw that they didn’t ____. It would be ____ even asking them for a ride. But in your eye I saw ____. I knew that you would help me.”
The words ____ the rider deeply. “Thank you for what you’ve said,” he told the old man. “I hope I will never leave others ____ simply because I’m busy, and every American citizen does ____ in my heart.”
With that, Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the US, turned his horse around and made his ____ back to the White House。
1.A. help B. ride C. trip D. drive
2.A. useful B. boring C. fortunate D. endless
3.A. Gradually B. Finally C. Sadly D. Surprisingly
4.A .eyes B. hand C. back D. face
5.A. like B. think C. offer D. mind
6.A. Speeding B. Riding C. Stopping D. Leaving
7.A. shocked B. stuck C. frozen D. injured
8.A. down B. on C. in D. off
9.A. only B. but C. so D. then
10.A. neared B. visited C. passed D. missed
11.A. came on B. came in C. came up D. came out
12.A. Even if B. What if C. As if D. Only if
13.A. out B. for C. into D. up
14.A. try B. wait C. ask D. care
15.A. useless. B. risky C. dangerous D. foolish
16.A. bravery B. loyalty C. ambition D. kindness
17.A. attracted B. comforted C. touched D. occupied
18.A. alone B. out C. away D. over
19.A. desire B. live C. count . D. advance
20.A. choice B. living C. mind D. way
—Do you mind if I use a phone?
—
A. Why not? B. That’s all right. C. Come on! D. Be my guest!
Her new book on how to get along with others is to ______next month.
A. come out B. get out C. turn out D. give out
.My teacher is very nice. I’ll never forget the ______he has done for me.
A. favor B. kindness C. help D. benefit
