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Blindsided | In many ways, Natalie O’Reilly is a typical 14-year-old girl. But Natalie will lose her sight within a few short months. Natalie is sent to school for the blind to learn skills such as Braille(盲文). Outwardly, she does as she’s told; inwardly, she hopes for a miracle(奇迹) that will free her from a fearful life of blindness. But the miracle does not come. Will she go home to live scared? Or will she master the skills she needs to make it in a world without sight? |
Crossing the Tracks | At 15, Iris seems to have no home, no family, no direction. After her mother’s early death, Iris’s father focuses on big plans for his new shoes stores and his latest girlfriend, and has no time for his daughter. Unknown to her, he hires Iris out as housekeeper and companion for a country doctor’s elderly mother. Iris is buoyed by the warmth and understanding the doctor and his mother show her, but just as she starts to break out of her trouble, a disaster strikes. Iris must find the courage to discover if she is really as helpless — or as hopeless — as she once believed. |
The Education of Bet | Will and Bet were brother and sister. Being a girl, Bet’s world is contained within the walls of their grand home. Will is allowed — forced — to go to school. So Bet comes up with a plan: They’ll switch places. She’ll go to school as Will. Will can then live as he chooses. But once Bet gets to school, she soon realizes living as a boy is going to be much more difficult than she imagined. |
X-Isle | Ever since the floods came and washed the world away, survivors have been desperate to win a place on X-Isle, the island where life is believed to be easier. Only young boys stand a chance of getting in, the smaller and lighter the better. Baz and Ray are two of the lucky few to be chosen, but they soon discover that X-Isle is a far cry from paradise(天堂). It’s a violent, unpredictable place, where terrible things can happen at any moment. |
1.From the book Blindsided, we can learn that Natalie ______.
A. is longing to stay away from blindness
B. has been blind for several months
C. has to quit school because of her blindness
D. is unconfident in learning Braille
2.The underlined word “buoyed” probably means “______”.
A. spoiled B. thrilled C. annoyed D. encouraged
3.X-Isle turns out to be ______.
A. easier for life B. no paradise
C. chosen for lucky men D. a romantic place
4.The main characters of the four books ______.
A. live a happy life
B. get out of trouble eventually
C. struggle for a better life
D. dream about better education
Yuan Guiren, Minister of Education, announced some measures to reform the NCEE, known as Gaokao, for this year in a media conference.
The first measure is to balance the recruiting quota(招生配额) around the nation, with particular emphasis on recruiting more students in central and western provinces.
In addition to this, Yuan said that 200,000 places would be available in the universities in eastern China for students from western China.
The third measure is to cancel some policies that allow students with special talents to receive extra points on their final result of the NCEE. “All national-level bonus marks for Gaokao will be cancelled in 2015, while over 60 percent of the province-level bonuses will be cut. Ten provinces have already canceled the policies while other provinces have cut down 63 percent of the policies,” said Yuan. The policy was originally introduced to be aimed at making Gaokao fairer because some students have special abilities but fail to get high scores in the national exams. Yet, it has been abused by corrupt officials to get the bonus marks for their children. This is a good example of corruption ruining a good policy.
Additionally, all students can recommend themselves for independent recruitment in some education institutions without any restrictions. Schools can also recommend their students to some universities.
The date for independent recruitment is scheduled for after the NCEE in 2015, and universities will be required to publicize their recruiting requirements, processes and results.
The last measure mentioned by Yuan is to gradually unify the NCEE around the nation. Students in three more provinces will sit for the same exams in 2015. Seven more provinces, totaling 25 provinces, will use the same exam format(版式) in 2016.
1.The passage is most probably taken from a(n) ______.
A. opening address B. historical book
C. news report D. science report
2.How many measures are mentioned for the Gaokao reform in the passage?
A. Four. B. Five. C. Six. D. Seven.
3.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. More students in eastern China can enter western universities.
B. Independent recruitment will take place after Gaokao in 2015.
C. The policy of bonus marks were designed for corrupt officials.
D. 25 provinces will use the same NCEE format in 2015.
4.The best title for the passage could be “______”.
A. Extra points to be Cancelled
B. The NCEE to be Unified
C. Chances to Favour Western Students
D. China to Reform NCEE
As I got out of the car, I saw many cars parked around Ah Mah’s house. Uncle Harry stood at the , urging us to go in quickly. I saw all my there. Aunt Lanny, Aunt Nancy, and Aunt Ping were sitting on the sofa choking and wiping their tears. Uncle Harry told me to stay as my parents and my brother went in Ah Mah’s room. During this time some thoughts about my Ah Mah kept racing through my mind.
Ah Mah was my grandmother, but I her because she liked boys more than girls. She had a way of thinking that boys were more than girls. She made her prejudice clear when she announced that she would leave all her to the men of the family and nothing to the women after she . I hated her way of thinking; , she and I never got along.
My thought was suddenly when my parents and my brother came out. Mother was crying.
What happened to Ah Mah? I my way through and forced the door wide open. My eyes fell on her almost hairless head. I froze. After a few seconds, she to me. Slowly, I walked over to her.
She was . She looked tired, and her eyes were open. Most of her hair had fallen out. She held her hands out to me, but I was afraid to her. She pointed to her desk and , “Futju.” The “futju” was her most prized possession, her Buddha beads(佛珠). I went over to her desk and took the “futju.” By now, I was crying, even without my knowing, and I just her. She called my name, breathing quickly with short breaths and . She said, “Keep…forgive me... .”
I ran over to her and tried to seize her out-stretched(伸出) hand but it was too .
1.A. exit B. table C. door D. stop
2.A. friends B. companions C. neighbors D. relatives
3.A. inside B. away C. outside D. down
4.A. liked B. remembered C. missed D. disliked
5.A. valuable B. optimistic C. mature D. positive
6.A. furniture B. belongings C. clothes D. goods
7.A. passed B. left C. died D. disappeared
8.A. therefore B. instead C. however D. otherwise
9.A. awakened B. accepted C. started D. interrupted
10.A. pushed B. cleared C. explored D. smoothed
11.A. pointed B. signed C. shouted D. appealed
12.A. scared B. stubborn C. skinny D. sensitive
13.A. curiously B. barely C. automatically D. surprisingly
14.A. strong B. flexible C. dirty D. trembling
15.A. touch B. meet C. trouble D. shake
16.A. screamed B. whispered C. announced D. repeated
17.A. grand B. moral C. holy D. splendid
18.A. glared at B. glanced at C. smiled at D. stared at
19.A. struggling B. laughing C. rising D. crying
20.A. dark B. late C. difficult D. far
to work on Saturdays, the employees are offered a higher salary.
A. Expecting B. Expected
C. To be expected D. Having expected
—The relation between the actor and his girlfriend has been worsening.
—I know. It has got to they have to get separated.
A. where B. how C. which D. what
If you are not rich by the time you are 35, says Ma Yun, then you the opportunities of youth.
A. are wasting B. wasted
C. will waste D. have wasted
