At thirteen, I was diagnosed (诊断)with a kind of attention disorder. It made school difficult for me. When everyone else in the class was focusing on tasks, I could not.
In my first literature class, Mrs. Smith asked us to read a story and their write on it, all within 45minutes. I raised my hand right away and said, “Mrs. Smith, you see, the doctor said I have attention problems. I might not be able to do it.”
She glanced down at me through her glasses, “you are not different from your classmates, young man. ”
I tried, but I didn’t finish the reading when the bell rang. I had to take it homie.
In the quietness of my bedroom; the ‘story suddenly all became clear to me. It was about a blind person, Louis Braille. He lived in a time when the blind couldn’t get much education. But Louis didn’t give up. Instead, he invented a reading system of raise dots(点), which opened up a whole new world of knowledge to the blind.
Wasn’t I the “blind”in my class; being made to learn like the “sighted” students? My thoughts spilled out(溢出)and my pen started to dance. I completed the task within 40 minutes. Indeed, I was not different from others; I just needed a quieter place: If Louis could find his “Way out of his problems, why should I ever give up?”
I didn’t expect anything when I handed in my paper to Mrs.Smith, so it was quite a surprise when it came back to ‘me the next day-. with an “A”on it. At the bottom of the paper were these words:. “See what you can do when you keep trying?”
1.The author didn’t finish the reading in class because .
A. He was new to the class
B. He was tried of literature
C. He had an attention disorder
D. He wanted to take the task home
2.What do we know about Louis Braille from the passage?
A. He had good sight
B. He made a great invention.
C. He gave up reading
D. He learned a lot from school
3.What was Mrs. Smith’s attitude to the author at the end of the story?
A. Angry
B. Impatient
C. Sympathetic
D. Encouraging
4.What is the main idea of the passage?
A. The disabled should be treated with respect.
B. A teacher can open up a new world to students.
C. One can find his way out of difficulties with efforts.
D. Everyone needs a hand when faced with challenges.
One day when I was 12, my mother gave me an order: I was to walk to the public library, and borrow at least one book for the summer. This was one more weapon for her to defeat my strange problem — inability to read.
In the library, I found my way into the “Children’s Room.” I sat down on the floor and pulled a few books off the shelf at random. The cover of a book caught my eye. It presented a picture of a beagle. I had recently had a beagle, the first and only animal companion I ever had as a child. He was my secret sharer, but one morning, he was gone, given away to someone who had the space and the money to care for him. I never forgot my beagle.
There on the book’s cover was a beagle which looked identical to my dog. I ran my fingers over the picture of the dog on the cover. My eyes ran across the title, Amos, the Beagle with a Plan. Unknowingly, I had read the title. Without opening the book, I borrowed it from the library for the summer.
Under the shade of a bush, I started to read about Amos. I read very, very slowly with difficulty. Though pages were turned slowly, I got the main idea of the story about a dog who, like mine, had been separated from his family and who finally found his way back home. That dog was my dog, and I was the little boy in the book. At the end of the story, my mind continued the final scene of reunion, on and on, until my own lost dog and I were, in my mind, running together.
My mother’s call returned me to the real world. I suddenly realized something: I had read a book, and I had loved reading that book. Everyone knew I could not read. But I had read it. Books could be incredibly wonderful and I was going to read them.
I never told my mother about my “miraculous” (奇迹般地) experience that summer, but she saw a slow but remarkable improvement in my classroom performance during the next year. And years later, she was proud that her son had read thousands of books, was awarded a PhD in literature, and authored his own books, articles, poetry and fiction. The power of the words has held.
1.The author’s mother told him to borrow a book in order to_____.
A. encourage him to do more walking B. let him spend a meaningful summer
C. help cure him of his reading problem D. make him learn more about weapons
2.The book caught the author’s eye because_____.
A. it contained pretty pictures of animals
B. it reminded him of his own dog
C. he found its title easy to understand
D. he liked children’s stories very much
3.Why could the author manage to read the book through?
A. He was forced by his mother to read it.
B. He identified with the story in the book.
C. The book told the story of his pet dog.
D. The happy ending of the story attracted him.
4.What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
A. The author has become a successful writer.
B. The author’s mother read the same book.
C. The author’s mother rewarded him with books.
D. The author has had happy summers ever since.
5.Which one could be the best title of the passage?
A. The Charm of a Book B. Mum’s Strict Order
C. Reunion with My Beagle D. My Passion for Reading
Nothing could stop Dad. After he was put on disability for a bad back, he bought a small farm in the country, just enough to grow food for the family. He planted vegetables, fruit trees and even kept bees for honey.
And every week he cleaned Old Man McColgin's chicken house in exchange for manure(肥料). The smell really burned the inside of your nose. When we complained about the terrible smell, Dad said the stronger the manure, the healthier the crops, and he was right. For example, just one of his cantaloupes filled the entire house with its sweet smell, and the taste was even sweeter.
As the vegetables started coming in, Dad threw himself into cooking. One day, armed with a basket of vegetables, he announced he was going to make stew(炖菜).Dad pulled out a pressure cooker and filled it up with cabbages, eggplants, potatoes, corns, onions and carrots. For about half an hour, the pressure built and the vegetables cooked. Finally, Dad turned off the stove, the pot began to cool and the pressure relief valve sprayed out a cloud of steam. If we thought Dad's pile of chicken manure was bad, this was 10 times worse. When Dad took off the lid, the smell nearly knocked us out.
Dad carried the pot out and we opened doors and windows to air out the house. Just how bad was it? The neighbors came out of their houses to see if we had a gas leak!
Determined, Dad filled our plates with steaming stew and passed them around. It didn’t look that bad, and after the first wave had shut down my ability to smell, it didn’t offend the nose so much, either. I took a taste. It would never win a prize in a cooking competition, but it was surprisingly edible, and we drank up every last drop of soup!
1.Why did Dad clean Old Man Mocolgin’s chicken house regularly?
A. To earn some money for the family. B. To collect manure for his crops.
C. To get rid of the terrible smell. D. To set a good example to us.
2.What can we infer about Dad’s stew?
A. It is popular among the neighbors. B. It contains honey and vegetables.
C. It looks very wonderful. D. It tastes quite delicious.
3.What does the underlined word “offend” in the last paragraph mean?
A. To attract. B. To upset. C. To air. D. To shut.
4.What can we learn about Dad form the text?
A. He is an experienced cook. B. He is a troublesome father.
C. He has a positive attitude to life. D. He suffers a lot from his disability.
When the dog named Judy spotted the first sheep in her life, she did what comes naturally. The four-year-old dog set off racing after the sheep across several fields and, being a city animal, lost both her sheep and her sense of direction. Then she ran along the edge of cliff( 悬崖) and fell 100 feet, bouncing off a rock into the sea.
Her owner Mike Holden panicked and celled the coastguard of Cornwall, who turned up in seconds . Six volunteers slid down the cliff with the help of a rope but gave up all hope of finding her alive after a 90-minute search.
Three days later, a hurricane hit the coast near Cornwall. Mr. Holden returned home from his holiday upset and convinced his pet was dead. He comforted himself with the thought she had died in the most beautiful part of the country.
For the next two weeks, the Holdens were heartbroken . Then, one day, the phone rang and Steve Tregear, the coastguard of Cornwall, asked Holder if he would like his dog bark.
A birdwatcher, armed with a telescope, found the pet sitting desperately on a rock. While he sounded the alarm, a student from Leeds climbed down the cliff to collect Judy.
The dog had initially been knocked unconscious(失去知觉的)but had survived by drinking water from a fresh scream at the base of the cliff. She may have fed on the body of a sheep which had also fallen over the edge. “The dog was very thin and hungry,” Steve Tregear said , “It was a very dog. She survived because of a plentiful supply of fresh water,” he added.
It was ,as Mr. Holden admitted, “a minor miracle(奇迹)”.
1.The dog Jody fell down the cliff when she was
A. rescuing her owner B. caught in a hurricane
C. blocked by a rock D. running after a sheep
2.Who spotted Judy after the accident?
A. A birdwatcher
B. A student from Leeds
C. Six volunteers
D. The coastguard of Cornwall
3.What can we infer from the text?
A. People like to travel with their pets.
B. Judy was taken to the fields for hunting.
C. Luck plays a vital role in Judy's survival.
D. Holden cared little where Judy was buried.
4.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A. Miracle of the Coastguard.
B. Surviving a Hurricane.
C. Dangers in the Wild
D. Coming Back from the Dead.
Peter loved to shop used articles. Almost a month ago, he bought popular word game that used little pieces of wood with different letters on them. As he was purchasing it, the salesgirl said, “Uh, look, the game box haven’t even been opened yet. That might be worth some money. ”
Peter examined the box, and, sure enough, it was completely covered in factory-sealed plastic. And he saw a date of 1973 on the back of the box.
“You should put that up for auction (拍卖) on the Internet, and see what happens.”the salesgirl said.
“Yes, you’re right. People like something rare.” Peter agreed, “I can’t imagine there being very many unopened boxes of this game still around 40 years later.”
“Don’t forget to tell me if you sell it.” the salesgirl smiled.
“No problem.” Peter said.
After he got home, Peter went online to several auction websites looking for his game. But he couldn’t find it. Then he typed in the name of the word game and hit Search. The search result was 543 websites containing information about the changes of the game. Over the years, the game had been produced using letters in different sizes and game boards in different colors. He also found some lists of game fans looking for various versions of the game. Peter emailed some of them, telling them what he had.
Two weeks later, Peter went back to the shop.
“Hello. Do you still remember the unopened word game?”
The salesgirl looked at him for a second, then recognized him and said, “Oh, hi!”
“I’ve got something for you,” Peter said. “I sold the game and made $1,000. Thank you for your suggestion.” He handed her three $ 100 bills.
“Wow!” the salesgirl cried out. “Thank you, I never expected it.”
1.Which of the following best describes Peter’s word game?
A. It was made around 40 years ago.
B. It had game boards in different sizes.
C. It was kept in a plastic bag with a seal.
D. It had little pieces of wood in different colors.
2.What did the salesgirl probably think of Peter’s word game?
A. Old and handy.
B. Rare and valuable.
C. Classic and attractive.
D. Colorful and interesting
3.Peter got the names of the game fans from _________.
A. an auction
B. the Internet
C. a game shop
D. the second-hand shop
4.What happened at the end of the story?
A. Peter gave the girl $300 as a reward.
B. The salesgirl became Peter’s friend.
C. Peter returned the word game for $ 1,000.
D. The salesgirl felt confused to see Peter again.
5.What is the main theme of the story?
A. It’s important to keep a promise.
B. It’s great to share in other people’s happiness.
C. We should be grateful for the help from others.
D. Something rare is worth a large amount of money.
What Theresa Loe is doing proves that a large farm isn’t a prerequisite for a modern grow-your-own lifestyle. On a mere 1/10 of an acre in Los Angeles, Loe and her family grow, can (装罐) and preserve much of the food they consume.
Loe is a master food preserver, gardener and canning expert. She also operates a website, where she shares her tips and recipes, with the goal of demonstrating that everyone has the ability to control what’s on their plate.
Loe initially went to school to become an engineer, but she quickly learned that her enthusiasm was mainly about growing and preparing her own food. “ got into cooking my own food and started growing my own herbs(香草)and foods for that fresh flavor,” she said. Engineer by day, Loe learned cooking at night school. She ultimately purchased a small piece of land with her husband and began growing their own foods.
“I teach people how to live farm-fresh without a farm,” Loe said. Through her website Loe emphasizes that ‘‘anybody can do this anywhere.” Got an apartment with a balcony (阳台)? Plant some herbs. A window? Perfect spot for growing. Start with herbs, she recommends, because “they’re very forgiving.” Just a little of the herbs “can take your regular cooking to a whole new level,” she added. “I think it’s a great place to start.” Then? Try growing something from a seed, she said, like a tomato or some tea.
Canning is a natural extension of the planting she does. With every planted food, Loe noted, there’s a moment when it’s bursting with its absolute peak flavor. “I try and keep it in a time capsule in a canning jar,” Loe said. “Canning for me is about knowing what’s in your food, knowing where it comes from.”
In addition to being more in touch with the food she’s eating, another joy comes from passing this knowledge and this desire for good food to her children: “Influencing them and telling them your opinion on not only being careful what we eat but understanding the bigger picture,” she said, “that if we don’t take care of the earth, no one will.”
1.The underlined word “prerequisite” (Para. 1) is closest in meaning to“ ”.
A. recipe B. substitute
C. requirement D. challenge
2.Why does Loe suggest starting with herbs?
A. They are used daily. B. They are easy to grow.
C. They can grow very tall. D. They can be eaten uncooked.
3.According to Loe, what is the benefit of canning her planted foods?
A. It can preserve their best flavor. B. It can promote her online sales.
C. It can better her cooking skills. D. It can improve their nutrition.
4.What is the “the bigger picture” (Para. 6) that Loe wishes her children to understand?
A. The knowledge about good food. B. The way to live a grow-our-own life.
C. The joy of getting in touch with foods. D. The responsibility to protect our earth
