Baby elephant repaying her lifesaver
There’s a saying about elephants that goes, “elephants never forget.” A recent online video holds____ to this saying, as a baby elephant saved a man from drowning.
The five-year-old elephant was named Kham La. The man she “____” is Darrick Thomson, her trainer.
Darrick____to Kham La while he was in a rushing river of Elephant Nature Park, Thailand. Kham La ____to her favorite person and immediately offered her trunk when she got close to Darrick. To further ____ him from the rushing water, Kham La blocked it by putting up her left leg. Darrick ____ her trunk when Kham La attempted to bring him to safety.
____ Darrick wasn’t in danger. He pretended to be ____ to show people the close band he had formed with Kham La. The close band was formed when Darrick saved Kham La from the ____meihods used on baby elephants for tourist attractions.
“Kham La was in a really____ way when she came to us,” explained Darrick, “She had been tied up and ____ to have cruel training known as ‘crushing’ to prepare her for work. We ____ her and helped her to recover. She became really ____ to me. I went in the river to show just how close our ____is. If you show warmth and kindness to them, they’ll ____ you well, too.”
“Crushing” is a ____ method used on baby elephants. They are beaten ____ they obey their trainers.
“She’s now a(n) ____ young elephant. The video shows just how close she is to me and it’s an important lesson to be kind to ____. This really goes to show that an elephant truly never ____!” Darrick added.
1.A. necessary B. true C. special D. possible
2.A. fought B. invited C. saved D. visited
3.A. called out B. pointed out C. handed out D. reached out
4.A. rode B. flew C. rushed D. floated
5.A. Separate B. control C. lift D. protect
6.A. held on to B. kept up with C. look notice of D. broke away from
7.A. Hopefully B. Finally C. Gradually D. Actually
8.A. escaping B. researching C. drowning D. arguing
9.A. useless B. cruel C. unusual D. scientific
10.A. bad B. different C. easy D. strange
11.A. encouraged B. allowed C. forced D. reminded
12.A. followed B. freed C. accepted D. rewarded
13.A. important B. nice C. helpful D. close
14.A. relationship B. career C. concern D. service
15.A. rescue B. influence C. treat D. judge
16.A. fanning B. training C. working D. acting
17.A. since B. even if C. unless D. so that
18.A. happy B. unlucky C. naughty D. careless
19.A. friends B. classmates C. strangers D. animals
20.A. settles B. forgets C. ignores D. changes
George Gershwin, born in 1898, was one of America’s greatest composers. He published his first song when he was eighteen years old. During the next twenty years he wrote more than five hundred songs.
Many of Gershwin’s songs were first written for musical plays performed in theatres in New York City. These plays were a popular form of entertainment in the 1920s and 1930s. Many of his songs have remained popular as ever. Over the years they have been sung and played in every possible way — from jazz to country.
In the 1920s there was a debate in the United States about jazz music. Could jazz, some people asked, be considered serious music? In 1924 jazz musician and orchestra leader Paul Whiteman decided to organize a special concert to show that jazz was serious music. Gershwin agreed to compose something for the concert before he realized he had just a few weeks to do it. And in that short time, he composed a piece for piano and orchestra which he called Rhapsody in Blue. Gershwin himself played the piano at the concert. The audience were thrilled when they heard his music. It made him world-famous and showed that jazz music could be both serious and popular.
In 1928, Gershwin went to Paris. He applied to study composition (作曲)with the well-known musician Nadia Boulanger, but she rejected him. She was afraid that classical study would ruin his jazz-influenced style. While there, Gershwin wrote An American in Paris. When it was first performed, critics (评论家)were divided over the music. Some called it happy and full of life, to others it was silly and boring. But it quickly became popular in Europe and the United States. It sill remains one of his most famous works.
George Gershwin died in 1937, just days after doctors learned he had brain cancer. He was only thirty-nine years old. Newspapers all over the world reported his death on their front pages. People mourned the loss of the man and all the music he might have still written.
1.What did Gershwin do during his stay in Paris?
A. He created one of his best works B. He studied with Nadia Boulanger
C. He argued with French critics D. He changed his music style
2.What do we learn from the last paragraph?
A. Many of Gershwin’s works were lost
B. The death of Gershwin was widely reported
C. A concert was held in memory of Gershwin
D. Brain cancer research started after Gershwin’s death.
3.Which of the following best describes Gershwin?
A. Talented and productive B. Serious and boring
C. Popular and unhappy D. Friendly and honest
A popular saying goes, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." However, that's not really true. Words have the power to build us up or knock us down. It doesn't matter if the words come from someone else' or ourselves—the positive and negative effects are just as lasting.
We all talk to ourselves sometimes. We're usually too shy to admit it, though. In fact, more and more experts believe talking to ourselves out loud is a healthy habit.
This "self-talk" helps us encourage ourselves, remember things, solve problems, and calm ourselves down. Be aware, though, that as much as 77% of self-talk tends to be negative. So in order to stay positive, we should only speak words of encouragement to ourselves. We should also be quick to give ourselves a pat on the back. The next time you finish a project, do well in a test, or finally clean your room, join me in saying "Good job!"!
Often, words come out of our mouths without thinking about the effect they will have. But we should be aware that our words cause certain responses in others. For example, when returning an item to a store, we might use warm, friendly language during the exchange. And the clerk will probably respond in a similar manner Or harsh (刻薄的)and critical language will most likely cause the clerk to be defensive.
Words have power because of their lasting effect. Many of us regret something we once said. And we remember unkind words said to us! Before speaking, we should always ask ourselves: Is it loving? Is it needed? If what we want to say doesn't pass this test, then it's better left unsaid.
Words have power: both positive and negative. Those around us receive encouragement when we speak positively. We can offer hope, build self-esteem(自尊) and encourage others to do their best Negative words destroy all those things. Will we use our words to hurt or to heal? The choice is ours.
1.The main idea of the first paragraph is that______.
A. nothing but words will hurt us
B. positive words give us confidence
C. negative words may let us down
D. words have a lasting effect on us.
2.There is no need for us to feel shy when we talk to ourselves because _______.
A. we can benefit from talking to ourselves
B. talking to ourselves always gives us courage
C. almost everybody has the habit of talking to themselves
D. it does no harm to have "self-talk" when we are alone
3.The underlined part in the third paragraph means that we should also timely______.
A. remind ourselves
B. praise ourselves
C. relax ourselves
D. amaze ourselves
4.The author would probably hold the view that_____.
A. encouraging words surely lead to kind offers
B. people will always remember friendly words
C. it is better to think twice before talking to others
D. negative words may help us make more progress
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.Where is the speaker most probably speaking?
A. On the radio. B. On TV. C. In class.
2.What will the weather be like in England today?
A. Quite dry. B. Wet and windy. C. Pretty good but cool.
3.How will the weather be in the east of Europe tomorrow?
A. Fine. B. Wet and windy. C. Rainy.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What can’t be done at the club?
A. Swimming. B. Running. C. Skating.
2.What does the woman say about her own sports activities?
A. She is quite good at many sports.
B. She never had enough time for them.
C. She used to do a lot of them.
3.What can we learn about the club?
A. It is open until 12:00 at noon.
B. It is open until 12:00 at night.
C. It opens at 12:00 in the morning.
4.Where will they meet each other?
A. At the computer centre. B. In front of the cinema. C. At the bus stop.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.Why is Jeanie here?
A. To meet Jack. B. To have a test.
C. To see her school once more.
2.What did Jeanie say about the test?
A. It will be difficult. B. It will be easy.
C. It will be surprisingly difficult.
3.Which of the following is NOT true?
A. This is Jeanie’s first term of school.
B. She has failed in test.
C. She has studied hard all week.
