A little boy invited his mother to attend (参加) his school’s first teacher-parent meeting. To the little boy’s ________, she said she would go. This ________ be the first time that his classmates and teacher ________ his mother and he felt ________ of her appearance. Although she was a beautiful woman, there was a severe scar(疤痕) that ________ nearly the entire right side of her face. The boy never wanted to ________ why or how she got the scar.
At the meeting, the people were ________ by the kindness and natural beauty of his mother ________ the scar, but the little boy was still embarrassed and ________ himself from everyone. He did, however, get within ________ of a conversation between his mother and his teacher.
The teacher asked ________, “How did you get the scar on your face?”
The mother replied, “________ my son was a baby, he was in a room that caught fire. Everyone was ________ afraid to go in because the fire was ________, so I went in. As I was running toward his bed, I saw a long piece of wood coming down and I placed myself over him trying to protect him. I was knocked ________ but fortunately, a fireman came in and saved both of us.” She ________ the burned side of her face. “This scar will be ________, but to this day, I have never ________ what I did.”
At this point, the little boy came out running toward his mother with tears in his eyes. He held her in his arms and felt a great ________ of the sacrifice(牺牲) that his mother had made for him. He held her hand ________ for the rest of the day.
1.A. enjoymentB. disappointmentC. surpriseD. excitement
2.A. wouldB. couldC. shouldD. must
3.A. noticedB. greetedC. acceptedD. met
4.A. sickB. ashamedC. afraidD. tired
5.A. includedB. passedC. coveredD. shaded
6.A. talk aboutB. think aboutC. care aboutD. hear about
7.A. impressedB. surprisedC. excitedD. comforted
8.A. in sight ofB. by means ofC. by way ofD. in spite of
9.A. hidB. protectedC. separatedD. escaped
10.A. understandingB. remindingC. hearingD. learning
11.A. carefullyB. seriouslyC. nervouslyD. anxiously
12.A. AfterB. WhenC. SinceD. While
13.A. soB. muchC. quiteD. too
14.A. out of controlB. under control
C. in controlD. over control
15.A. helplessB. hopelessC. senselessD. useless
16.A. pointedB. showedC. wipedD. touched
17.A. uglyB. lastingC. seriousD. frightening
18.A. forgotB. recognizedC. consideredD. regretted
19.A. enjoymentB. senseC. happinessD. pride
20.A. quietlyB. proudlyC. tightlyD. quickly
Being a good friend isn’t always easy, but taking the time to develop a lasting friendship is worth the effort. As the years pass, you will realize that each friendship you keep is priceless. 1.To be a good friend and deepen a friendship, just follow these steps.
Keep your promises.
Don’t ever make a promise that you can’t keep. If you say you’ll hang out with a friend and an unexpected situation arises, explain the situation. Give your friend a gift and tell him or her you are sorry. Nobody is perfect, and it’s okay if you break a promise once in a blue moon. 2.__
Apologize when you’ve made a mistake.
3. Though your friend won’t be happy that you made a mistake, he or she will be very pleased that you admit it instead of just pretending that nothing is wrong.
4.
To be truly supportive, you will have to be able to watch out for your friend when he/she is having a difficult time. If you sense that your friend is getting into some trouble, help him or her away from the situation by not being afraid to speak up about it.
Give your friend some space when he or she needs it.
Part of being supportive means supporting the fact that your friend won’t always want to spend time with you. Learn to step back and give your friend space. 5. ___ Don’t be jealous (嫉妒的) if your friend has lots of other friends.
A. However, don’t make it a regular thing.
B. Help your friend deal with his or her struggles.
C. Learn to forgive (原谅)your friend and move forward.
D. Of course, to have a good friend, you must be one.
E. If you want your friend to believe in you, you can’t act like you’re perfect.
F. Understand if your friend wants to be alone or to have a walk with other people,
G. Take the time to truly understand your friend when he or she is talking to you.
Dr. Michael Prager, a leading Botox expert, said that a growing number of women are developging something called “computer face”. He also said that professionals who worked long hours in front of a screen were ending up with saggy jowls（颚骨）,“turkey neck” and deep-set wrinkles on their forehead and around their eyes.
The Botox expert said that, of all his clients, office workers were most likely to show premature (过早的) signs(迹象) of aging. “If you are one of the unfortunate people who frown（皱眉）while you are concentrating on the screen then, over time, you will end up with frown lines.” Dr. Prager said. “What is perhaps more surprising is the number of women with saggy jowls because they are sitting in one position for so long. If you spend most of the time looking down then the neck muscles shorten and go saggy, eventually giving you a second neck.”
Dr. Prager, who has a practice near Harley Street in London, said he encourages his clients to put a mirror next to their computer so they can see if they are frowning at the screen. “When people are stressed or thinking hard about something, then they will often put on a ‘grumpy face’ without even knowing what they are doing. When my clients put a mirror next to their desk, they are often surprised by the angry, frowning face which stares back at them.”
He said, “The women I am seeing at the moment have only been using computers at work for the last decade or so. But women in their 20s have grown up with them and use them for every single task. I think the problem is going to become much, much worse. In another ten years, they could be looking quite awful.”
Dr. Prager said there were several simple steps which could avoid “computer face” such as regular screen breaks and stretching the neck muscles. And, of course, there was always Botox. He said that, after a couple of sessions of Botox, the habit of “grumpy face” could be broken.
1.According to the passage, what makes women develop a “computer face”?
A. Frowning every now and then.
B. Concentrating on computers frequently.
C. Working too long in front of a screen.
D. Sitting in the same place for a long time.
2.According to the passage, which of the following are signs of aging?
A. Saggy jowls and short necks.
B. Turkey neck and frown lines.
C. Deep-set wrinkles and angry faces.
D. Second neck and stressed muscles.
3.The underlined word “grumpy” in Paragraph 3 probably means?
A. happyB. surprisedC. angryD. relaxed
4.From the last 2 paragraphs, we can know that ________.
A. “computer face” is avoidable
B. we should give up using computers
C. we should break the habit of “grumpy face”
D. the younger generation is worse at computers
If Confucius(孔子) were alive today and could celebrate his September 28 birthday with a big cake, there would be a lot of candles. He’d need a fan or a strong wind to help him put them out.
While many people in China remember Confucius on his special day, few people in the United States will give him a passing thought. It’s nothing personal. Most Americans don’t even remember the birthdays of their own national heroes.
But that doesn’t mean that Americans don’t care about Confucius. In many ways he has become a bridge that foreigners must cross if they want to reach a deeper understanding of China.
In the past two decades, the Chinese studies programs have gained huge popularity in Western universities. More recently, the Chinese government has set up Confucius Institutes in more than 80 countries. These schools teach both Chinese language and culture. The main courses of Chinese culture usually include Chinese art, history and philosophy(哲学). Some social scientists suggest that Westerners should take advantage of the ancient Chinese wisdom to make up the drawbacks of Western philosophy. Students in the United States, at the same time, are racing to learn Chinese. So they will be ready for life in a world where China is an equal power with the United States. Businessmen who hope to make money in China are reading books about Confucius to understand their Chinese customers.
So the old thinker’s ideas are still alive and well.
Today China attracts the West more than ever, and it will need more to introduce Confucius and Chinese culture to the West.
As for the old thinker, he will not be forgotten by people in the West, even if his birthday is.
1.The purpose or the first paragraph is mainly to ________.
A. attract the readers’ interest in the subject
B. provide some key facts about Confucius
C. show great respect for the ancient thinker
D. prove the popularity of modern birthday celebrations
2.We can learn from Paragraph 4 that American students ________.
A. take an active part in Chinese competitions
B. try to get high scores in Chinese exams
C. fight for a chance to learn Chinese
D. show great interest in studying Chinese nowadays
3.What is the best title for this passage?
A. Forgotten Wisdom in America
B. Huge Fans of the Chinese Language
C. Old Thinker with a Big Future
D. Chinese Culture for Westerners
The National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC has thousands of objects on display, including the 1903 Wright Flyer, Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis, the Apollo 11 Command Module Columbia, and a lunar rock you can touch. In addition to our exhibition gallery, you may want to visit the Albert Einstein Planetarium, Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater, and the Public Observatory on the east end. There are many things to do at the Museum in DC. We offer daily tours and educational activities for both children and adults. We also have scheduled lectures and events throughout the year.
Hours and Admission: Open every day except December 25. Admission is free.
Regular Hours: 10:00 am to 5:30 pm
Extended Hours: 10:00 am to 7:30pm
December 26—30, 2014 March 30—April 20, 2015
Friday and Saturdays, April 24—May 16, 2015 May 17—September 7, 2015
Visiting Tips: Limit the number of bags: All visitors are screened through metal detector upon entry. The fewer items you bring inside the Museum, the faster your entry. Before you visit, please review the list of prohibited items, which include pocket knives and tripods(三脚架). Visitors carrying prohibited items will not be allowed inside the Museum, so please leave them at home or in your car.
No Food or Drink: Only bottled water is permitted in the Museum. You may only consume food and other drinks in the Food and Drink Court, not in the Museum. Groups who bring food are encouraged to picnic on the National Hall.
Please Take Photos: You are welcome to take photos for personal use. However, tripods and monopods(单脚架) are not permitted without approval.
First Aid: The Museum has a First Aid office and a nurse on duty. Please contact the nearest security officer or the Welcome Center for assistance.
Visit the Welcome Center: At our Welcome Center in the South Lobby, staff and volunteers can answer any questions you have during your visit.
Open: 10:00 am to 5:30 Phone: 202-666-2212
E-mail: NASM-visitorservice@si.edu
1.According to the passage, the National Air and Space Museum is a place ________.
A. where only adults can take part in some educational activities
B. where one can touch anything he likes
C. everyone can pay a visit to without buying tickets
D. everyone can visit everyday all the year round
2.A visitor can visit the Museum at 6:00 pm, on ________.
A. December 24, 2014(Wednesday)
B. March 1, 2015(Sunday)
C. September 15, 2015(Tuesday)
D. July 6, 2015(Monday)
3.A visitor to the Museum can ________.
A. get some medical treatment if he suddenly falls ill
B. take photos with tripods for personal use
C. bring fewer bags to go through metal detectors
D. eat and drink in the Museum or in the Food Court
4.The passage probably appears in ______.
A. a lecture
B. a history textbook
C. an advertisement
D. a science report
A friend of mine named Paul received an expensive car from his brother as a Christmas present．On Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office, a street urchin （顽童） was walking around the shining car．“Is this your car, Paul?” he asked.
Paul answered, “Yes, my brother gave it to me for Christmas.” The boy was surprised．“You mean your brother gave it to you and it cost you nothing? Boy, I wish…” He hesitated.
Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for．He wished he had a brother like that．But what the boy said surprised Paul greatly.
“I wish,” the boy went on, “that I could be a brother like that.” Paul looked at the boy in surprise, and then he said again, “Would you like to take a ride in my car?” “Oh yes, I’d love that.”
After a short ride, the boy turned and with his eyes shining, said, “Paul, would you mind driving in front of my house?”
Paul smiled a little．He thought he knew what the boy wanted．He wanted to show his neighbors that he could ride home in a big car．But Paul was wrong again．“Will you stop where those two steps are?” the boy asked.
He ran up to the steps．Then in a short while Paul heard him coming back, but he was not coming fast．He was carrying his little crippled (残疾) brother. He sat him down on the step and pointed to the car.
“There she is, Buddy, just like I told you upstairs．His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it didn’t cost him a cent．And some day I’m going to give you one just like it... Then you can see for yourself all the nice things in the Christmas window that I’ve been trying to tell you about.”
Paul got out and lifted the boy to the front seat of his car．The shining-eyed older brother climbed in and the three of them began an unforgettable holiday ride.
1.The street urchin was very surprised when ________.
A．he saw the shining car
B．Paul told him something about the car
C．he was walking around the car
D．Paul received an expensive car
2.From the story we know that the urchin ________.
A．wished to give his brother a car
B．wished Paul’s brother to give him a car
C．wished Paul could be a brother like that
D．wished he could have a brother like Paul’s
3.The urchin asked Paul to stop his car in front of his house ________.
A．to show he had a rich friend
B．to show his neighbors the car
C．to let his brother ride in the car
D．to tell his brother about his wish
4.We can infer from the story that ________.
A．Paul couldn’t understand the urchin
B．the urchin’s wish came true in the end
C．the urchin wished to have a rich brother
D．the urchin had a deep love for his brother
