Most of us have quite good memories, but our memories are limited. For example, we cannot remember everyone we have ever met or what we did on every single day of our lives. However, there are some people who do have prodigious memories. These people have a rare condition known as savant syndrome (学者症候群). Savants suffer from a developmental disorder, but they also exhibit great talents that contrast(显出差异) sharply with their physical and mental disabilities.
Kim Peek (1951-2009) was a savant who lived in Salt Lake City, Utah, in the United States. He was born with damage to parts of his brain, but it seemed that other parts of his brain, particularly those relating to memory, became over-developed.
Peek’s unique abilities appeared at a very early age. When he was just 20 months old, he could already remember every book that was read to him. Peek could read two pages of a book at the same time---one page with the right eye and one with the left---in less than 10 seconds and remember everything he read. By the time he died, Peek had memorized more than 9,000 books. He could remember all the names and numbers in a variety of telephone books. He could remember thousands of facts about history, literature, geography and sports.
Dr. David Treffert, an expert on savant syndrome, once described Peek as “a living Google” because of his astonishing ability to memorize and connect facts. However, at the same time, Peek was unable to carry out simple tasks, such as brushing his hair or getting dressed, and he needed others to help him. In 1989, the movie Rain Man won the Oscar for best Picture. The main character in the movie, played by Dustin Hoffman, was based on Kim Peek’s life. He started to appear on television, where he would amaze audiences by correctly answering difficult questions on different topics. Peek became world famous, and he and his father began touring widely to talk about overcoming disabilities. He inspired a great many people with his words. “Recognizing and respecting differences in others, and treating everyone in the way you want them to treat you, will make our world a better place for everyone. Everyone is different.”
1.The underlined word “prodigious” in Paragraph 1 probably means ________.
A. happy B. vivid C. amazing D. short
2.According to the text, Peek ________.
A. could take care of himself
B. was born with a good memory
C. was the student of Dr. David Treffert
D. became brain-damaged at 20 months old
3.How is Paragraph 3 mainly developed?
A. By proving facts. B. By following time order.
C. By analyzing causes. D. By making comparisons.
4.Peek’s words suggest that we should ________.
A. respect different cultures
B. listen to different opinions
C. treat different people differently
D. be respectful of others’differences
An artist in Oakland, California is using his skills to help the homeless. Greg Kloehn builds very small shelters that make life on the streets a little more comfortable. The structures offer the homeless some safety and protection from bad weather. Each little house also has wheels on the bottom so it can go wherever its owner goes.
Greg Kloehn has given away at least 20 tiny houses. Several are on the roadside near an active railroad. On a recent day, Mr. Kloehn stops at one to visit Oscar Young. The two men hug. Inside his little shelter Mr. Young gets relief from cold nights on the streets. Mr. Kloehn also visits Sweet-Pea, another friend who also lives in one of the little homes the artist built. She says it keeps her safe and protects her belongings.
In the mornings, Mr. Kloehn searches the streets for building materials. He gathers what he can and takes it to his studio. There, he puts the houses together. Empty coffee bags become roof material. A washing machine door and refrigerator part become windows. Nails, screws and the sticky glue hold all the pieces together. The artist also attaches a small electrical device to the house. The device is powered by the sun.
Some of the people living on the streets once had normal houses of their own. But some of the people say they have learned to live with less and they are thankful to that man.
Mr. Kloehn says his work is not a social project. He says he is just someone using his skills to help his homeless neighbors.
1.The following are the advantages of the small shelters EXCEPT ________.
A. saving power and energy
B. decorating the streets where they are
C. protecting possessions of the homeless
D. keeping the homeless safe and comfortable
2.We can learn from the passage that ________.
A. An act of kindness has made people simple and grateful
B. Greg Kloehn has sold at least 20 tiny houses
C. The shelters are immovable
D. The government has got involved in the action
3.What’s the main idea of the passage?
A. A more comfortable shelter on the streets.
B. An artist creates homes for the homeless.
C. A successful social project in Oakland.
D. An artist makes a living by designing small shelters.
书面表达
假定你是李华，正在一所英国学校学习暑期课程，遇到一些困难，希望得到学校
辅导中心（Learning Center）的帮助。根据学校规定，你须书面预约，
请按下列要点写一封信： 1.本人简介； 2.求助内容； 3.约定时间；
4.你的联系方式（Email:lihua@126.com;Phone:12345678）
注意： 1.词数100左右；
2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3.开头以及结束语已写好、不计分.
Dear Sir/Madam ,
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Look forward to your reply.
短文改错
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。
文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处，每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、
删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均限一词。
2.只允许修改10处; 多者（从第11处起）不计分。
Here is my idea about how a friend is like. Firstly, a friend is someone you can share your secrets . If you tell him a secret, he will never talks about it with anybody else. Besides, a friend is always good listener when you need one. After hear your sad stories, he will say some words that is nice and warm. Still, your happiness makes him happily too. What’s more, a good friend is willing to offer the help to which you need, or can at least give you some advices. In a word, friends are those you like and trust, and you will enjoy every minute that you spent with them.
语篇填空
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容或括号内单词的正确形式（不多于3个单词）。
My first football 1.________(compete) was in Nagoya, Japan several years ago. Last year 2.________(we) team went to Seattle, Washington in the USA. We won second place. 3._______(Person), I think the team that won4._______(one) place cheated. They had developed a new type of program just before the game. So we need to encourage our programmer to improve our intelligence too. We are determined to create 5.________ even better system. In a way our programmer is like our coach. She programs us with all the possible moves she has seen while 6._______(watch) human games. Then she prepares reliable moves to use if a new situation 7.____(arise). In this way I can make up new moves using my “artificial intelligence”. I would really like to play 8.______ a human team, for I 9._______( program ) to act just like them. After all, with the help of my electronic brain 10.________ never forgets anything, using my intelligence is what I’m all about !
完形填空
阅读下面短文,掌握其大意,然后从各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳选项。
In our discussion with people on how education can help them succeed in life, a woman remembered the first meeting of an introductory____course 20 years ago.
The professor ____the lecture hall, placed upon his desk a large jar filled with dried beans（豆）, and invited the students to ____how many beans the jar contained. After ____shouts of wildly wrong guesses the professor smiled a thin, dry smile, announced the ____ answer, and went on saying, ”You have just ____an important lesson about science. That is: Never____ your own senses.” Twenty years later, the ____could guess what the professor had in mind. He ____himself,perhaps,as inviting his students to start an exciting ____into an unknown world invisible（无形的）to the ,which can be discovered only through scientific .But the seventeen-year-old girl could not accept or even the invitation. She was just to understand the world. And she that her firsthand experience could be true .The professor, however, said that it was .he was taking away her only for knowing and was providing her with no substitute替代.“I remember feeling small and ,”the women says,“and I did the only thing I could do. I the course that afternoon, and I haven’t gone near science since.”
1.A.art B.history C.science D.math
2.A.searched for B.looked at C.got through D.marched into
3.A.count B.guess C.report D.watch
4.A.warning B.giving C.turning away D.listening to
5.A.ready B.possible C.correct D.difficult
6.A.learned B.prepared C.taught D.taken
7.A.lose B.trust C.sharpen D.show
8.A.lecturer B.scientist C.speaker D.woman
9.A.described B.respected C.saw D.served
10.A.voyage B.movement C.change D.rush
11.A.professor B.eye C.knowledge D.light
12.A.model B.senses C.spirit D.methods
13.A.hear B.make C.present D.refuse
14.A.suggesting B.beginning C.pretending D.waiting
15.A.believed B.doubted C.proved D.explained
16.A.growth B.strength C.faith D.truth
17.A.firm B.interesting C.wrong D.acceptable
18.A.task B.tool C.success D.connection
19.A.cruel B.proud C.frightened D.brave
20.A.dropped B.started C. passed D.missed
