One afternoon last week, I saw three tearful children from my son’s school being comforted by teachers. That morning, my 11-year-old had stomach pains, retching（干呕）into a bowl. Talking to other mothers later, I heard about other children with stomachache or difficult sleeping the night before.
What caused so much pain? Sports day. Sports day might be necessary at a highly-competitive independent school, but not at a village primary school. For the children who can fly like the wind, sports day cause no problem. For those who are overweight or just not good at sport, it is nightmare（噩梦）. Even for those who enjoy running but fall halfway down the track in front of the entire school and their parents, it can prove a disease.
Why do we put our children through this annual suffering? Some may say competition is character building; or it’s taking part, not winning, that’s important; or that’s a tradition of school life. I just felt great pity for those children in tears or in pain.
Team games at the end of sports day produced some close races, wild enthusiasm, lots of shouting — and were fun to watch. More importantly, the children who were not so fast or quick at passing the ball were hidden a little from everyone’s eyes. Some of them also had the thrill of being on the winning side.
I wish that sports day could be abandoned and replaced with some other less competitive event. Perhaps an afternoon of team games, with a few races for those who want them, would be less stressful for the children and a lot more fun to watch.
1.What can we learn about the author’s son from Paragraph 1?
A. He talked with some mothers.
B. He comforted his classmates.
C. He had difficulty in sleeping.
D. He suffered from stomachache.
2.Sports day is still an annul event in this school probably because __________.
A. this is an independent school
B. it is a tradition of the school
C. it helps children lose weight
D. children enjoy watching sports
3.What does the author think about team games?
A. They should include more stressful races.
B. They are acceptable to different children.
C. They should be abandoned at primary school.
D. They are less fun for those who love running.
4.What is the author’s attitude towards sports day?
A. Critical. B. Neutral. C. Positive. D. Ambiguous.
Why do Americans struggle with watching their weight, while the French, who consume rich food, continue to stay thin? Now a research by Cornell University suggests how life style and decisions about eating may affect weight. Researchers concluded that the French tend to stop eating when they feel full. However, Americans tend to stop when their plate is empty or their favorite TV show is over.
According to Dr. Joseph Mercola, a health expert, the French see eating as an important part of their life style. They enjoy food and therefore spend a fairly long time at the table, while Americans see eating as something to be squeezed between the other daily activities. Mercola believes Americans lose the ability to sense when they are actually full. So they keep eating long after the French would have stopped. In addition, he points out that Americans drive to huge supermarkets to buy canned and frozen foods for the week. The French, instead, tend to shop daily, walking to small shops and farmers’ markets where they have a choice of fresh fruits, vegetables, and eggs as well as high-quality meats for each meal.
After a visit to the United States, Mireille Guiliano, author of French Women Don’t Get Fat, decided to write about the importance of knowing when to stop rather than suggesting how to avoid food. Today she continues to stay slim and rarely goes to the gym.
In spite of all these differences, evidence shows that recent life style changes may be affecting French eating habits. Today the rate of obesity — or extreme overweight — among adults is only 6%. However, as American fast food gains acceptance and the young reject older traditions, the obesity rate among French children has reached 17% — and is growing.
1.In what way are the French different from Americans according to Dr. Joseph Mercola?
A. They go shopping at supermarkets more frequently.
B. They squeeze eating between the other daily activities.
C. They regard eating as a key part of their lifestyles.
D. They usually eat too much canned and frozen food.
2.This text is mainly the relationship between _________.
A. Americans and the French
B. life style and obesity
C. children and adults
D. fast food and overweight
3.The text is mainly developed __________.
A. by contrast B. by space C. by process D. by classification
4.Where does this text probably come from?
A. A TV interview B. A food advertisement
C. A health report D. A book review
When I told my father that I was moving to Des Moines, Iowa, he told me about the only time he had been there. It was in the 1930s, when he was an editor if the literary magazine of Southern Methodist University（SMU）in Dallas, Texas. He also worked as a professor at SMU, and there was a girl student in his class who suffered from a serious back disease. She couldn;t afford the operation because her family was poor.
Her mother ran a boardinghouse in Galveston, a seaside town near Houston, Texas. She was cleaning out the attic（阁楼）one day when she came across an old dusty manuscript（手稿）. On its top page were the words, “By O. Henry”. It was a nice story, and she sent it to her daughter at SMU, who showed it to my father. My father had never read the story before, but it sounded like O. Henry, and he knew that O. Henry had once lived in Houston. So it was possible that the famous author had gone to the beach and stayed in the Gainestown boardinghouse, and had written the story there and left the manuscript behind by accident. My father visited an O. Henry expert at Columbia University in New York, who authenticated the story as O. Henry’s.
My father then set out to sell it. Eventfully, he foud himself in Des Moines, meeting with Gardner Cowles, a top editor at the Des Moines Register. Cowles loves the story and bought it on the spot. My father took the money to the girl. It was just enough for her to have the operation she so desperately needed.
My father never told me what the O. Henry story was about. But i doubt that it could have been better than his own story.
1.Who found the O. Henry’s manuscript?
A. The girl’s mother. B. The author’s father.
C. The girl. D. The author.
2.Which of the following might explain the fact that the manuscript was found in the attic?
A. O. Henry once worked in Houston.
B. O. Henry once stayed in Galveston.
C. O. Henry once moved to Des Moines.
D. O. Henry once taught at SMU.
3.The underlined word “authenticated” in Paragraph 2 probably means __________.
A. named B. treated C. proved D. described
4.According to the text, why did the author’s father go to Des Moines?
A. To sell the O. Henry story. B. To meet the author himself.
C. To talk with the O. Henry expert. D. To give money to the girl.
Our warming planet is expected to face serious water crisis（危机）in the coming decades — which means each nation’s natural resource will be more important than ever.
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1.According to the statistics, what is the world average of freshwater resource per person?
A. 244,973 cubic kilometers
B. 241 cubic kilometers
C. 3,642 cubic kilometers
D. 6,122 cubic kilometers
2.Which country or region has the most freshwater resource per year?
A. Guyana B. Brazil C. Iceland D. China
3.Which country or region appears twice on the top 5 lists?
A. Bhutan B. Seychelles C. Canada D. Suriname
It was Mother’s Day and I was shopping at the local supermarket with my five-year-old son, Tenyson. As we were , we realized that only minutes earlier an woman had fallen over at the entrance and hit her head on the ground. was with her, but there was blood everywhere and the woman was embarrassed and clearly in shock. a lot of people stopped to help out.
we were walking towards the scene, Tenyson became very about what had happened to the elderly couple. He to me, “Mom, it’s not much fun falling over in front of .” Seeing that there was a flower stall（摊位）at the front of the supermarket, he added, “Why shouldn’t we the lady a flower? It will make her feel better.” I was that he’d come up with this idea. So we went over and told the flower seller we wanted. “Just take it,” she replied. “I take your money for such a wonderful .”
By now medical staff had arrived, and were the injured woman. We gave the flower to the woman’s husband and I told him it was my son. At that, the old man started crying and said, “Thank you very much.” He then turned to me, “You have a son. Happy Mother’s Day to you.”
The man bent down and gave his wife the flower, telling ger who it was from. being badly hurt, the old lady looked up at Tenyson with in her eyes and gave him a little .
1.A. leaving B. driving C. moving D. stopping
2.A. injured B. awkward C. honest D. elderly
3.A. Her husband B. My son C. The crowd D. The seller
4.A. Specifically B. Particularly C. Interestingly D. Fortunately
5.A. If B. Since C. While D. Unless
6.A. guilty B. curious C. angry D. worried
7.A. complained B. said C. lied D. responded
8.A. no one B. someone C. everyone D. anyone
9.A. lend B. bring C. leave D. buy
10.A. amazed B. shocked C. puzzled D. concerned
11.A. wise B. sweet C. innocent D. crazy
12.A. which B. when C. what D. whether
13.A. must not B. can’t C. may not D. needn’t
14.A. scene B. habit C. flower D. deed
15.A. checking with B. looking after C. operating on D. paying for
16.A. from B. to C. with D. about
17.A. respectful B. cheerful C. successful D. wonderful
18.A. Out of B. Regardless of C. Thanks to D. As to
19.A. love B. hope C. pity D. pain
20.A. idea B. money C. smile D. comfort
My book, The House of Hales, is missing. Who ________ have taken it?
A. need B. must C. should D. could
