Once upon a time, there was a little boy who was raised in an orphanage. The little boy had always wished he could _________ like a bird. And there was another little boy who was _________. He had always wished he could walk and run like other little boys and girls.
One day the little orphan boy _________ from the orphanage. He _________ upon the other boy, who was playing in the sandbox in the park. He ran over, and asked him _________ he had ever wished to fly like a bird. “No,” said the other little boy. “But I have _________ what it would be like to walk and run like others.”
The two little boys played together for hours. Then the disabled boy’s father came with a(n) _________ to pick up his son. The orphan boy went to the boy’s father and _________ something into his ear, and the man nodded. Then he came back to his new friend and said, “You are my only friend! I wish I could help you run, but I can’t. But there is _________ that I can do for you.”
The orphan boy __________ and told his friend to climb up onto his __________. He then began to run across the grass. Faster and faster he ran, __________ the disabled boy on his back. Soon the wind just __________ across the two boy’s faces.
The disabled boy’s father __________ in tears as his son flapped (拍打) his __________ up and down in the wind, shouting, “I’m flying, Daddy. I’m flying!”
1.A.speak B.sing C.fly D.live
2.A.rich B.alone C.well - fed D.lame
3.A.ran away B.broke up C.looked over D.turned out
4.A.drew B.took C.came D.faced
5.A.when B.if C.how D.that
6.A.wondered B.hoped C.realized D.managed
7.A.ambulance B.stick C.bike D.wheelchair
8.A.shouted B.suggested C.whispered D.told
9.A.nothing B.everything C.anything D.something
10.A.stood up B.bent down C.knelt up D.lay down
11.A.back B.head C.shoulders D.neck
12.A.leaving B.seating C.carrying D.balancing
13.A.knocked B.flew C.warmed D.whistled
14.A.cried B.watched C.admired D.enjoyed
15.A.arms B.legs C.friends D.wings
With a computer or smart phone today, we can make more and more friends, and even befriend people we’ve never met face-to-face. 1. Aside from modern facilities, how to make friends has been a question of vital interest to people through the ages. But how to make and be a good friend?
2.
Everyone wants to have friends who are loyal and true, but not everyone knows how to have or be such a friend. People who make friends easily are those who express an interest in others and in what they are doing. By asking questions and showing interest in others, you make them feel welcomed and appreciated, helping them feel their efforts are worthwhile. Friendly people will not pass up the opportunity to let others know when they do something well.
A friend is encouraging.
The impact of well-timed encouragement can be tremendous. I can remember talking to a less popular classmate at school after he had a run - in with the class bully. “Don’t worry about him,” I said. “He’s just jealous of your grades in class.” 3.
What a response I got! We began doing almost everything together. 4. The incident taught me how important it is to show concern, and to this day we are still firm “best friends”!
Be trustworthy.
5. They are those who can trust and rely on. Do others see you as trustworthy? The way you live your life, the standards you abide by, will create an impression on others. Never compromise your integrity, standards or beliefs because you think someone will not approve of you. If the person is a worthwhile friend, he or she will appreciate your honesty and uprightness.
A.To make friends, be friendly!
B.A friend in need is a friend indeed.
C.Later on, this fellow introduced me as his “best friend.”
D.What kind of people do you want to have around you?
E.In fact one might have more “digital friends” than he does in real life!
F.Friendship is one of the most important relationships we can have in life.
G.A couple more times I offered encouragement when I saw him looking lonely.
The Scandinavian languages consist of Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Icelandic and Faroese. Danish is closely related to other Scandinavian languages such as Swedish and Norwegian. In fact, they are so similar that a Dane, a Swede, and a Norwegian can all have a conversation while each person is speaking his or her own language. You might wonder why, if the three languages are mutually understandable, they aren’t considered a single language.
Well, language isn’t only about communication; it’s an important part of a nation’s cultural and political identity. For centuries, Denmark, Sweden and Norway have worked to maintain separate identities, and having distinct languages helps. Besides, communication between the three languages isn’t easy; speakers have to work hard to understand each other.
In medieval times, Sweden was under Denmark’s control, and Danish was the language of government. When Sweden became independent in 1523, its officials decided to establish its own writing conventions, changing the spelling of words to reflect Swedish pronunciation and changing the alphabet to make it look less Danish. Soon after these changes were complete, the Bible was translated into Swedish. The Bible made the new Swedish more official, and the differences between written Danish and Swedish were solidified.
Spoken Swedish sounds pretty similar to Danish. The problem is that the two languages have rather different vocabularies. For example, pocket is lomme in Danish, but ficka in Swedish. Also, some words that sound similar have different meanings. The word frokost means lunch in Danish, but Swedish frukost, which sounds almost the same, means breakfast. This kind of difference is pretty common and can cause a lot of misunderstandings.
Norway was under Danish control for 400 years, until 1814. During this time, all official documents were written in Danish, and written Norwegian entirely died out. As a result, contemporary Norwegian looks very similar to Danish. The two languages also have similar vocabularies, although Norwegian pronunciation can be very different.
The relationship between the languages can be seen in a vast number of cognates, words that are similar in different languages.
1.What did Sweden and Norway do to maintain their cultural and political identities?
A.To have their own languages.
B.To keep exchanges with Denmark.
C.To copy the Danish language.
D.To create a lot of new words.
2.What is Paragraph 3 mainly about?
A.How Sweden won its independence.
B.Why Sweden created a new language.
C.Why the Bible was important to Swedish.
D.How Sweden established its writing system.
3.Which of the following words means “breakfast” in Swedish?
A.ficka B.lomme C.frokost D.frukost
4.Which will a Norwegian find easier to learn according to the text?
A.Danish pronunciation. B.Swedish vocabulary.
C.Danish vocabulary. D.Swedish pronunciation.
The Earth is facing a climate crisis, but it’s also getting greener. According to a new research, the rise is largely because of China and India. A study by NASA, based on extensive satellite imagery, has revealed that the two countries with the world’s biggest populations are also responsible for the largest increase in green plants.
A third of the leaf increase is attributable to China and India, due to major tree planting projects as well as a vast increase in agriculture. “China and India account for one-third of the greening, but contain only 9% of the planet’s land area covered in vegetation (植被)—a surprising finding, considering the large populations in the countries need much land,” Chi Chen, the study’s lead author said in a statement.
Between 2000 and 2017, a NASA sensor gathered data of the Earth’s surface from aboard two satellites, the Terra and the Aqua. Using the data, researchers discovered that China is the source of a quarter of the increase in green leaf area, despite possessing only 6.6% of the world’s vegetated area. Forests account for 42% of that increase, while croplands make up a further 32%. China’s increase in forest area is the result of forest conservation and expansion programs, established to combat the impacts of climate change and air pollution.
Rama Nemani, a researcher at NASA’s Ames Research Center, said in a statement, “When the greening of the Earth was first observed, we thought it was due to a warmer, wetter climate from the added carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, leading to more leaf growth in northern forests, for instance. Now, with the data, we see that humans are also contributing,” Nemani said. “This will help scientists make better predictions about the behavior of different Earth systems, which will help countries make better decisions about how and when to take action.”
1.What’s the text mainly about?
A.The climate crisis the Earth is facing.
B.A solution to global climate warming.
C.Actions taken to fight against air pollution.
D.China and India’s contributions to global greening.
2.Why is the finding considered surprising for China and India?
A.They need much land for agriculture.
B.They are greatly polluted countries.
C.They are rich in natural resources.
D.They both face a serious food crisis.
3.What percentage does China make up of the total green leaf growth?
A.6.6%. B.25%.
C.33%. D.42%.
4.What did Rama Nemani’s want to emphasize?
A.The scientists made a wrong prediction.
B.Climate is a critical factor in leaf growth.
C.Human efforts cannot be ignored.
D.It is never too late to take actions.
Find a balance between the heart and mind
Sense and sensibility was written by British author Jane Austen. It shows two sisters’ love experiences and their complicated marriages. The novel offers the contrast between sense and sensibility in a humorous way.
The elder sister, Elinor Dashwood, is the perfect representation of sense. She always refrains from expressing her emotions, even when she finds out that Edward, her lover, was engaged to another woman. Meanwhile, Marianne Dashwood is the perfect representation of sensibility. She is idealistic. When she is confronted with the nonchalance of her lover John Willoughby, Marianne is greatly annoyed.
Besides the themes of sense and sensibility, the novel also depicts the status of women in that era. Elinor and Marianne used to live with their parents. But, when their father passes away, the family’s property is passed down to their father’s son born out of wedlock. The sisters and their mother don’t have money and have to rely on their distant relative.
Due to their poor status, Willoughby, Marianne’s former lover, eventually marries a woman who does not have as much taste or elegance but who is rich.
The author showed readers the importance of money rather romance in this era. Marriages often depend on the financial situations of either side.
As the story evolves, Elinor and Marianne learn from each other. Marianne learns more self-restraint, and she marries her long-time admirer Colonel Brandon. Elinor is finally able to better express her emotions, and gets married with her lover Edward.
Through their parallel experience of love loss, the sisters learn that sense must mix with sensibility if they are to find personal happiness in a society where status and money govern the rules of love.
1.What is the theme of the novel Sense and Sensibility?
A.Sense should mix with sensibility. B.Status and money govern marriages.
C.Real love is never a selfish emotion. D.There is no true love in the real world.
2.What is paragraph 3 mainly about?
A.The sisters’ family background. B.The loss of Dashwood’s property.
C.The rules of love in Austin’s era. D.Women’s social position in Austin’s era.
3.Which of the following is true according to the text?
A.Edward gets married to a rich woman. B.Colonel Brandon admires Elinor at first.
C.Finally Elinor finds her true happiness. D.Marianne marries Willoughby in the end.
4.What type of writing is the text?
A.A news report. B.A book review.
C.A biography. D.A movie poster.
Zhou Zhaoyan is just 6 years of age, but she has touched the hearts of Internet users worldwide, many of whom are still living amid COVID-19 restrictions.
Since her parents started to post her performances on video—sharing platform YouTube in early March, her account Miumiu Guitargirl has attracted more than 157,000 fans.
The video of her singing Fly Me to the Moon, written by Bart Howard, while playing guitar received over 5 million hits on the platform. In her version of the classic song, Hotel California, by the Eagles, she is seen singing, playing guitar, electric guitar, bass, drums and maracas. With over 1.8 million hits, it’s been described by viewers as the “cutest version” of the song. Followers send best wishes online to the “talented angel”.
Some singers, bands and celebrities from home and abroad also reposted her videos on their social media. The American instrumental guitarist Nei ZaZa reposted the girl’s cover of his guitar music I’m Alright on the Facebook, and commented: “6 years old! They get younger and younger!”
The girl has covered both Chinese and English songs. The most difficult is I Wish You Love, which was sung by bossa nova singer Lisa Ono. It took about three weeks to master the guitar—playing and singing, her father says, adding that as many people like the girl’s music, she’s more confident about herself and wants to learn more.
“I’m glad that many people like my music. I know some of them will watch it over and over. I feel very warm-hearted,” says Zhaoyan from Nanjing, Jiansu Province, who learned guitar from the age of 3 from her father, a guitar teacher.
In late February, her parents started to post short videos of her playing guitar on the Chinese video—sharing platform Bilibili. At that particular time, Zhaoyan was practicing guitar about five hours a day, as the family were confined to their home due to the pandemic.
1.What has made Zhaoyan popular worldwide?
A.Her covers of the classic songs. B.Her musical talent shows online.
C.Her skills in playing the guitar. D.Her efforts to help COVID-19 patients.
2.What did Nei ZaZa thinks of the girl’s cover of his music?
A.It was great for so young a girl. B.She still had a long way to go.
C.She did better than he himself. D.She has potential to be a super star.
3.How does Zhou feel about her own popularity?
A.Unexpected. B.Indifferent.
C.Encouraged. D.Overjoyed.
