When I was a child, our dining room had two kinds of chairs — two large ones with arm rests and four small ones without. The larger ones stood at the ends of the table, the smaller ones on the sides. Mom and Dad sat in the big chairs, except when one of us was away; then Mom would sit in one of the smaller chairs. Dad always sat at the end, at the "head" of the table. Sitting where he did, Dad was framed by the window through which the yard could be seen with its trees and grass. His chair was not just a place for him at table; it was a place in which he was situated against the yard and the trees. It was the holy(神圣的）and protected place that was his, and ours through him.
After Dad retired, he and Mom moved out into a small flat. When thy came to visit me at their old house, Dad still sat at the end of the table though the table was no longer his but mine. Only with my marriage to Barbara, did I hear a voice questioning the arrangement. She requested, gently but firmly, that I sit at the head of the table in our home. I realized then that I was head of the family, but I also felt unwilling to introduce such a change. How would I feel sitting in that "head" place in my Dad's presence? And how would he handle it? I was to find out on the occasion of our youngest child's first birthday.
Mom and Dad arrived for lunch, and went into the dining room. Dad moved toward his usual seat in front of the window. Before he could get around the side of the table, I took a deep breath and said, "Dad, this is going to be your place, next to Mom, on the side." He stopped, looked at me and then sat down. I felt sad, and angry at Barbara for pushing me to do this. It would have been easy to say, "My mistake, Dad. Sit where you always sit, ” But I didn't.
When he and Mom were seated, Barbara and I took our places. I don't know how Dad felt. I do know that, though removed from his usual place, he continued to share his best self with us, telling stories of his childhood and youth to the delight of his grandchildren. As I served the food, our lives experienced a change, which we continue to live with.
It wasn't easy, but I sense that there is also something good in the change which has occurred. I am beginning to learn that "honoring one's father” is more than the question of which place to occupy at the dining table. It also means listening, wherever we sit and whatever positions we own, to the stories Dad longs to tell We may then, during these magical moments, even be able to forget about whose chair is whose.
1.Why did Dad always sit in the big chair at the end of the table before he retired?
A.Because the chair was large enough for him.
B.Because sitting there he could see the trees and grass in the yard.
C.Because it was the holy seat for the head of the family.
D.Because the chair was comfortable with arm rests.
2.What do we know from the second paragraph?
A.The writer's parents moved out because the house was too old.
B.The writer didn't want to hurt his father’s feelings.
C.The writer's wife was rude to his parents.
D.The writer didn't dare to refuse his wife's request.
3.Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A.Dad felt upset after being removed from his usual place.
B.The writer was satisfied with the new seating arrangement.
C.Dad continued to tell stories to cover his embarrassment.
D.Dad didn't appear to mind where he sat.
4.What does the writer intend to tell us?
A.Respecting Dad is more than the question of dining seat.
B.It is not easy to go against parents' wishes.
C.Think twice before you act.
D.Every coin has two sides.
Nothing good generally comes of a conversation that start with the words, "I think you should probably sit down before I tell you this.”
And so it came to pass. Away for Christmas, we got a call from kind friends at home, our neighbour's house had caught fire while they were out. The fire didn't spread to our house but the smoke very much did.
It's weeks of either throwing out, or sending away for specialist cleaning, every single thing into which smoke could have permeated(渗透)because the particles(微粒) are an ongoing health risk and washing isn't enough. Anything soft—sofas and carpets and children’s teddy bears, clothes—is suspected. We will be seeing in the New Year in a decidedly minimalist fashion.
What I didn't expect to feel, however, is this lucky. Friends and neighbours have come together with incredible generosity. We will never again underestimate the closeness of the village community in which we live, or the innate kindness that is most people's natural reaction to trouble, and are grateful to be reminded of so much that is good. But that's not the only thing I've learned. For in a sense, we have a chance to start again.
The surprise on being forced to think about what might urgently need replacing is how short the list of essentials seems; how much we must have been hanging on to out of habit, and how much we have been conditioned to think was important.
It's all too easily assumed that family history lives in tangible(有形的)things— old photographs, a dress bought decades ago for a night heavy with memories — but that's not quite right. These things were only reminders of what we already carry with us in head and heart.
Walking through the house, sweeping up the broken glass, I realised that the answer to the old question of “What would you save in a fire? ” is actually that nothing really matters but each other.
1.What happened to the author's house?
A.It caught a fire.
B.It was affected by a fire.
C.It was broken into by friends.
D.Its windows were broken.
2.What does the underlined word "suspected" in Paragraph 3 refer to?
A.something that may be damaged.
B.something that may not be genuine.
C.something that may not be so good.
D.something that may be dangerous.
3.What did the author expect to feel?
A.People around him were cold to others' trouble.
B.His friends and neighbours were so generous.
C.People in his community were close to each other.
D.He was so lucky to find much that was good.
4.How will the author probably feel when the New Year finally comes?
A.Worried. B.Surprised.
C.Excited. D.Contented.
As the most wonderful tools for learning and teaching English, iPads appeal to more and more students who use them to access online resources in their classrooms. With the help of the thousands of education and language apps available in Apple's app store, students make effective use of the iPad to learn in an interactive environment. Given below is a list of some of the best iPad apps for learning and teaching English.
Grammar Up
Grammar is the heart of any language and, thus, the Grammar Up app is one of the most highly recommended apps for English Learners. This app is specifically designed for people who want to improve their grammar, vocabulary and word selection. It consists of more than 1800 multiple-choice questions grouped under twenty different grammar categories.
Learn English The Fun Way
"Learn English the fun way" is an amazing app for grammar and matching lessons in which English learners get to do simple exercises such as matching an animal or a short description of something to its picture.
SpeakingPal
Recommended as one of the best apps for English educators and learners, SpeakingPal allows users to record and compare their speech with a native English speaker. This amazing app combines video with automatic speech recognition software that tests your English speaking skills. You just have to speak with a video character and get immediate response on how well you said and pronounced all your English words. In short, this app basically understands and rates your speech.
Wordflex Touch Dictionar
Turn your word-meanings search into a fun experience with the Wordflex Touch Dictionary app! Developed exclusively for iPad in association with the Oxford University Press, the Wordflex Touch Dictionary app converts your word entries into attractive trees which you can move, drag, share and reorganize using touch gestures. This app is among the best as it also contains audio pronunciations both in UK and US English, which is a great benefit for English learners.
iBooks
iBooks is a complete book library for the iPad users. It includes the iBookstore and allows users to download and read books for free. It also allows users to save their favorite classics for free. The app features a beautiful bookshelf on which you can browse various books; tap a book to open and read it, and add notes to your favorite paragraphs in the book. You can also create your own texts and upload them into the app.
1.Which app might be the best choice for a kid who is beginning to learn grammar?
A.Grammar Up B.Wordflex Touch Dictionary
C.Learn English The Fun Way D.SpeakingPal
2.Which of the following is Right according to the passage?
A.The Grammar Up app is the best recommended app for English learners.
B.Wordflex Touch Dictionary provides pronunciation in British and American English.
C.SpeakingPal allows users to compete with a native English speaker.
D.iBooks is a free book library for English learners and teachers.
3.What's the purpose of the text?
A.To advertise Apple's app store.
B.To attract users to iPad.
C.To distinguish some apps for English learning.
D.To introduce some apps for English learners and educators.
A chance meeting between two men who realized they had both been abused in the same Surrey children’s care home has led to a campaign that has seen hundreds of former residents claiming they were also victims of physical, emotional and sexual abuse.
Music producer Raymond Stevenson, physically abused during his time at the Shirley Oaks home in the 70s, met a childhood friend last year who revealed he’d been abused in the institution. Within a few months, the Shirley Oaks Survivors Association(SOSA) was hundreds strong.
“We have been in contact with over 300 people and the stories we are getting are just terrible,” Stevenson says. “Every time we interview someone and hear about what happened to them, it brings tears to our eyes. Reliving(再现) some of the horrors they went through hasn't been easy.”
There have been two major police investigations into abuse at children’s homes in South London and three people including a swimming instructor, William Hook, have been condemned for offences relating to Shirley Oaks.
Another operation is currently on-going, but SOSA has lost faith in the authorities who they claim have covered up the whole picture of abuse in Shirley Oaks. “We don’t trust them and that’s why we have decided to do this campaign ourselves,” Stevenson explains.
A couple of weeks ago, dozens of former Shirley Oaks residents crowded into a Lambeth council(议会）meeting-the authority which ran the show until its closure the mid-1980s. Councilor after councilor spoke of their shame at what had been allowed to happen to children in their care.
Among the crowd was the award-winning author Alex Wheatle who has written about the abuse he suffered as a child at Shirley Oaks. “We have not come here to go to war with the council；we have come here to gain your support, ” Wheatle told the meeting.
The Shirley Oaks association is doing more than compiling evidence. It is using music to press its case. A song entitled “Don’t Touch It—It’s Mine” includes personal testimony(证词) from victims. “I was abused mentally, physically, emotionally and violently,” the track begins. “Of the original 16 of us, 12 have killed themselves...”
“We’re not going to be told lies anymore,” Stevenson explains. “We are not going to leave it in the hands of lawyers, politicians or council officials to tell us what happened to us. We want to discover it ourselves and we know music and dance and poetry are ways that can tell a greater story.”
1.What is the purpose of setting up SOSA?
A.To show sympathy for the abused children in society.
B.To reveal the abuse at a children’s care home.
C.To find the living victims from a care home.
D.To aid those people abused at a young age.
2.What can we learn from the passage?
A.The former victims depend much on the police for investigation.
B.Twelve of the sixteen children were killed in Shirley Oaks.
C.All the people committing offences in Shirley Oaks have been arrested.
D.The former local authorities must have neglected their duty.
3.What has been done by campaigners of SOSA?
A.Collecting evidence for the police.
B.Creating music for the campaign.
C.Going to war with the government.
D.Turning to lawyers for assistance.
4.Which of the following is the best title for the text?
A.SOSA sings for justice.
B.Child abuse in Shirley Oaks.
C.Terrible memories in Shirley Oaks.
D.A campaign to abuse the authorities by SOSA .
It is becoming more and more important for researchers to closely observe our sea life, with climate change and overfishing damaging our oceans. However, this is almost impossible since human presence scares the animals. Now, thanks to The Soft Robotic Fish, also called SoFi, researchers may not only be able to keep a close eye on the creatures, but also uncover undersea secrets that have been confusing us for centuries.
Built by MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), the snow-white remote-controlled robot closely emulates real fish, complete with a flexible tail and two "fins". Though not the first autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) created to observe the oceans, SoFi solves many of the issues that have hindered (妨碍)the usefulness of previous robots.
AUVs traditionally have had to be tied to a boat because radio frequency communications do not work well underwater. To solve the problem, CSAIL director Daniela Rus and her team used sound waves which can travel greater distances, allowing drivers using a waterproofed Super Nintendo controller to pilot SoFi from up to 50 feet away. To ensure SoFi can freely move around the ocean, a pump moves water from one balloon-like structure to the other through its soft rubber tail, while a controller fitted with a battery powers the robot through the ocean, unhindered by propellers (螺旋桨).
During test dives in Fiji's Rainbow Reef, SoFi moved alongside the sea life at depths of 50 feet for up to 40 minutes at a time, taking high-resolution photos and videos. Even more importantly, it was able to do so without causing any disturbance. The researchers say sometimes the fish would swim alongside the strange-looking robo- fish out of curiosity, while at other times they appeared completely unaware of its existence.
While SoFi currently only records videos, future versions will include sensors. "For us, this fish is magical," says Rus. “We imagine someday it might help us uncover more mysteries from the amazing underwater world that we know so little about."
1.Why was SoFi created?
A.To protect fish from being caught.
B.To stop oceans from being polluted.
C.To learn about the underwater world
D.To solve the issues AUVs have found.
2.Which of the following can replace the underlined word “emulates” in Paragraph2?
A.Feeds. B.Catches.
C.Protects. D.Imitates.
3.What is the third paragraph mainly about?
A.The development of AUVs.
B.Working principles of SoFi.
C.How AUVs are used underwater.
D.SoFi's contribution to fish protection.
4.What is the main advantage of SoFi?
A.It will not scare real fish. B.It can record videos.
C.It is equipped with sensors. D.It cannot be seen by real fish.
Naomi Shihab Nye has lots of things to write about. She never seems to run out of ideas, Naomi writes poetry for young people and adults, but she is also the author of essays, children's picture books, songs, and a novel for teenagers.
Where does Naomi get her ideas? She sees poetry in the details of everyday life, like the way things smell or taste, the sounds of nature, the voices of her family, and the colors of a flower or a bird's wing or a strawberry.
Naomi's poetry is also often influenced by places she has lived in and visited. Naomi was raised by her Palestinian father and American mother. She grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, US, Jerusalem Israel; and San Antonio, Texas, US. Each of these places has its own unique features, which Naomi has described with her rich, descriptive language.
Naomi also writes about her double cultures and the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians in the Middle East. Today, Naomi has settled down in San Antonio. She knows many people who have a Mexican-American identity, and she works their experiences into her poetry. Naomi focuses on the ways that people of different cultures and backgrounds are similar rather than different. She has even traveled to the Middle East and Asia to promote international goodwill through the arts. Naomi firmly believes in the power of writing to change the world and help people find common ground.
Naomi Shihab Nye began writing poetry as soon as she learned how to write. She published her first poem when she was only seven years old! Since that time, Naomi has written and edited more than 20 books. She often tells young writers to write about their daily lives—the things they observe and the feelings they have. That's a good reminder for a writer!
1.Which of the following best describes Naomi according to Paragraph 1?
A.Optimistic. B.Productive.
C.Generous. D.Traditional.
2.How does Naomi get her ideas?
A.By observing the world around her.
B.By visiting many different people.
C.By reading famous writers' works.
D.By comparing features of different places.
3.Where does Naomi live now?
A.In Missouri, US. B.In Mexico.
C.In Texas, US. D.In Israel.
4.What can we learn about Naomi from the last two paragraphs?
A.She has a strong sense of social responsibility.
B.She focuses more on cultural differences.
C.She lived a hard life in childhood.
D.She writes books for improving writing skills,
