Steve, a twelve-year-old boy with alcoholic parents, was about to be lost forever, by the U.S. education system. He had been failing since first grade. Steve was a big boy, looking more like a teenager than a twelve year old, yet, Steve went unnoticed... until Miss White.

    Miss White was a smiling, young, beautiful redhead, and Steve was in love! For the first time in his young life, he couldn’t take his eyes off his teacher; yet, still he failed. He never did his homework, and he was always in trouble with Miss White. His heart would break he was punished for failing to turn in his homework! Still, he did not study.

    In the middle of the first term of school, the entire seventh grade was tested for basic skills. Steve hurried through his tests, and continued to dream of other things.  His heart was in the woods, where he often escaped alone, trying to shut out the sights, sounds and smells of his alcoholic home. 

One day, Miss White’s impatient voice broke into his daydreams.

    “Steve!” he turned to look at her.

         “Pay attention!”

         Steve locked his eyes on Miss White with adolescent adoration, as she began to go over the test results for the seventh grade.

         “You all did pretty well,” she told the class, “except for one boy, and it breaks my heart to tell you this, but...” She hesitated.

         “...The smartest boy in the seventh grade is failing my class!”

         She just stared at Steve, as the class turned around for a good look. Steve dropped his eyes and carefully examined his fingertips.

         After that, it was war!! Steve still wouldn’t do his homework even as the punishments became more severe.

         “Just try it! ONE WEEK!” He was unmoved.

         You’re smart enough! You’ll see a change!” Nothing happened.

         “Give yourself a chance! Don’ give up on your life!” Nothing.

         “Steve! Please! I care about you!”

         Wow! Suddenly, Steve got it!! Someone cared about him? Someone, totally perfect, CARED ABOUT HIM!

         Steve went home from school, thoughtful, that afternoon.  He, quickly, gathered up his camping things, this time including his schoolbooks. Determined, he headed for the woods.

The following Monday he arrived at school on time, and he waited for Miss White to enter the classroom. She walked in, all sparkle and smiles! God, she was beautiful! He expected her smile to turn on him. It did not.

         Miss White, immediately, gave a quiz on the weekend homework. Steve hurried through the test, and was the first to hand in his paper. With a look of surprise, Miss White took his paper. Obviously puzzled, she began to look it over. Steve walked back to his desk, his heart beating within his chest. As he sat down, he couldn’t resist another look at the lovely woman.

         Miss White’s face was in total shock! She glanced up at Steve, then down, then up. Suddenly, her face broke into a bright smile. The smartest boy in the seventh grade had just passed his first test!

From that moment nothing was the same for Steve. Life at home remained the same, but life still changed. He discovered that not only could he learn, but he was good at it! And he continued this course throughout his school life.

         After high-school Steve entered the Navy, and he had a successful military career.  During his Naval career, he inspired many young people, who without him, might not have believed in themselves.

         You see, it’s simple, really. A change took place within the heart of one boy, all because of one teacher, who cared.                          

1. How did Miss White’s expression change when she got Steve’s paper?   

         A. satisfied —shocked —surprised —puzzled            B. puzzled —surprised —shocked —satisfied

         C. surprised —puzzled —shocked —satisfied                  D. surprised —shocked —satisfied —puzzled

2. Which of the following statements is NOT right according to the passage? 

A. Steve fell in love with Miss White at the first sight of her.

B. Steve’s parents were so addicted to drinking that they paid little attention to Steve’s life.

C. Steve would rather stay in the woods to keep himself away from his home.

D. Having being punished many times, Steve determined to work hard and passed his first test.

3. Which of the following can serve as the best title for this passage?

         A. The difference a teacher can make                               B. The school life of a stubborn boy

         C. The importance of family education                               D. The skills of being a good teacher

 

A murder will occur this weekend in the peaceful seaside town of Langley, Washington. In fact, a murder has occurred there every February for the past 25 years. But don’t panic! It’s all part of the town’s yearly Mystery Weekend.

What began as a local event in 1984 now attracts visitors from over the U.S. and even abroad. Would-be detectives（侦探）arrive on Saturday. There, they receive a packet, including a newspaper with details about the crime and information telling where to find clues（线索）. Visitors then travel to various shops, restaurants and other places, searching for clues as they go. Along the way, they meet and interview suspects (疑犯) played by local people. The visitors need turn in their guesses on Sunday at 4:00 p.m.. Then as everyone gathers, the murderer is found, and prizes are awarded for correct answers.

For visitors, Mystery Weekend is not only fun but also a great introduction to the charms of Langley. It’s a very attractive place with historic buildings, exciting ocean views and above all, friendly people. Since Langley is on an island, a fun way to get there is by taking a ship to the nearby town of Clinton and then driving the rest of the way. Langley has a delightful selection of hotels with bed and breakfasts that are open all year round. And activities in Langley aren’t limited to Mystery Weekend. There is also great hiking, biking, golfing and diving to enjoy. And for a special adventure, visitors can book on one of the whale–watching ships that leave nearby harbors each day. 

1. The second paragraph mainly tells us__________.

A. where visitors can pick up the clues

B. what people do during Mystery Weekend

C. when Mystery Weekend came into being

D. how the detectives try to clear up the case

2.According to the passage, visitors in Langley can Not__________.

A. watch whales performing

B. take a ship to Clinton.

C. enjoy a wide variety of activities like dancing and singing

D. stay in hotels opened throughout the year

3.We learn from the text that Mystery Weekend  ______.

A. is an event which happens once a year.

B. aims to decrease crime rate

C. is intended for detectives

D. offers visitors a chance to make money

4. What would be the best title for the passage

A. Langley    B. Mystery Weekend    C. Would-be detectives    D. A murder

 

I had an experience some years ago, which taught me something about the ways in which people make a bad situation worse by blaming themselves. One January, I had to hold two funerals on successive days for two elderly women in my community. Both had died “ full of years”, as the Bible would say. Their homes happened to be near each other, so I paid condolence(吊唁) calls on the two families on the same afternoon.

At the first home, the son of the deceased(已故的)woman said to me, “ If only I had sent my mother to Florida and gotten her out of this cold and snow, she would be alive today. It’s my fault that she died.” At the second home, the son of the other deceased woman said, “ If only I hadn’t insisted on my mother’s going to Florida, she would be alive today.. that long airplane ride, the sudden change of climate, was more than she could take. It’s my fault that she’s dead.”

You see that any time there is a death, the survivors will feel guilty. Because the course of action they took turned out bad, they believe that the opposite course—keeping Mother at home, putting off the operation—would have turned out better. After all, how could it have turned out any worse?

There are seem to be two elements involved in our willingness to feel guilty. The first is our pressing need to believe that the world makes sense, that there is a cause for every effect and a reason for everything that happens that leads us to find patterns and connections both where they really exist and where they exist only in our minds.

The second element is the view that we are the cause of what happens , especially the bad things that happen. It seems to be a short step from believing that every event has a cause to believe that every disaster is our fault. The roots of this feeling may lie in our childhood.

A baby comes to think that the world exists to meet his needs, and that he makes everything happen in it. He wakes up in the morning and summons the rest of the world to its tasks. He cries, and someone comes to attend to him. When he is hungry, people feed him , and when he is wet, people change him. Very often, we do not completely outgrow that childish view that our wishes cause things to happen.

1.What is said about the two diseased elderly women?

A．They lived out a natural life

B．They died of exhaustion after the long plane ride

C．They weren’t used to the change in weather.

D．They died due to lack of care by family members.

2.The author had to conduct the two women’s funerals probably because ______.

A．he wanted to comfort the two families

B．he was an official from the community

C．he had great pity for the deceased

D．he was minister of the local church

3.People feel guilty for the deaths of their loved ones because _____.

A．they couldn’t find a better way to express their sorrow

B．they believe that they were responsible

C．they had neglected the natural course of events

D．they didn’t know things often turn in the opposite direction

4.According to the passage, the underlined part in paragraph 4 probably means that_____.

A．everything in the world is predetermined

B．the world can be interpreted in different ways

C．there is an explanation for everything in the world

D．we have to be sensible in order to understand the world

5.What’s the idea of the passage?

A．Life and death is an unsolved mystery.

B．Every story should have a happy ending.

C．Never feel guilty all the time because not every disaster is our fault.

D．In general, the survivors will feel guilty about the people who passed away.

 

Many Americans take their summer vacations in August. President Obama and his family are among them. This August the first family visited the Florida Gulf Coast. The president wants to promote tourism in the area after the BP oil spill (漏油). The first family took a ten-day vacation on Martha’s Vineyard, an island off the coast of Massachusetts.

Martha’s Vineyard is known for the sailing, sunsets and its tall cliffs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The island is about 13 kilometers off the coast and is less than 260 square kilometers. Homes designed like those of earlier times line the streets of Edgartown, Oak Bluffs and Vineyard Haven. These are the major towns on Martha’s Vineyard.

For most of the year, the population of Martha’s Vineyard is about 15 000. In summer, more than 100 000 people crowd the island. In addition to the Obamas, you might see some Hollywood stars and other rich and famous people. Many visitors return year after year.

During warm weather the Vineyard is a good place for many different activities. People can play golf or catch fish. They can ride in sailboats or motor boats. They can waterski and swim. They can take quiet walks along sandy beaches and among the thick green trees.

One of the popular places for families with children is the Flying Horses Carousel in Oak Bluffs. It is the oldest continually operated merry-go-round ride in the United States. The colorful wood horses that turn in a circle were created in 1876. One of the best places for children to swim is the Joseph A. Sylvia state beach. The water there is warmer and calmer. Families also enjoy the Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary where they can observe much of the island wildlife.

Visitors watch the sunsets sitting on the beach and on rocks in the fishing village of Menemsha. As the sun goes down in the sky it paints yellow, red, and other colors on the clouds. Fishing boats rise and fall with the waves. Bells sound to help guide the boats to land as darkness covers the water.

Historians say British mapmaker Bartholomew Gosnold first made a map of the island for the rulers of England in 1602. Gosnold named the island to honor his baby daughter, Martha. The Vineyard part of the name came from the many wild grape vines Gosnold found on the island. Later, King Charles of England gave the island to businessman Thomas Mayhew of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, whose son established the first European settlement on the island in 1642. By the middle of the nineteenth century, ships from the American mainland began bringing visitors to the island. Big hotels were built near the edge of the water. Martha’s Vineyard was on its way to becoming the visitors center that it is today.

1..

 We can infer that ______.

A. the BP oil spill has a negative effect on the tourism along the Florida Gulf Coast

B. the BP oil spill has contributed to the tourism along the Florida Gulf Coast

C. President Obama went to the Florida Gulf Coast to deal with the BP oil spill

D. this was the first time that President Obama and his family had taken the vacation on Martha’s Vineyard

2..

 Which month is the peak time for tourism in Martha’s Vineyard?

A. January.          B. August.          C. December.            D. March,

3..

If children want to see wild animals, the family should go to ______.

A. the Flying Horses Carousel                B. the Sylvia state beach

C. the fishing village of Menemsha           D. the Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary

4..

 Bartholomew Gosnold named the island Martha in honor of _______.

A. his mother                                B. the king of England

C. his daughter                              D. his father

 

As computers become more and more popular in China, Chinese are increasingly relying on computer keyboards to input Chinese characters. But if they use the computer too much, they may end up forgetting the exact strokes(笔画) of each Chinese character when writing on paper. Experts suggest people, especially students, write by hand more.

Do you write by hand more or type more? In Beijing, students start using a computer as early as primary school. And computer dependence is more widespread among university students. Almost all their assignments and essays are typed on a computer. All the students interviewed say they usually use computers.

It's faster and easier to correct the mistakes if using a computer. And that’s why computers are being used more and more often in modern education. But when people are taking stock in computers increasingly, problems appear.

“When I'm writing with a pen, I find I often can’t remember how to write a character, though I feel I'm familiar with it.”        

“I'm not in the mood to write when faced with a pen and paper.”              

Many students don’t feel this is something to worry about. Now that it's more convenient and efficient to type on a computer, why bother to write by hand?       

Many educators think differently. Shi Liwei , the headmaster of a famous primary school in the capital said, “Chinese characters enjoy both practical and aesthetic (审美的) value. But those characters typed with computer keyboards only maintain their practical value. All the artistic beauty of the characters is lost. Besides, handwriting contains the writer's emotion. Through one's handwriting, people can  learn one's thinking and personality. Beautiful writing will give people a better first impression.” 

To encourage students to write more, many primary schools in Beijing have made writing classes compulsory and in universities, some professors are asking students to turn in their homework and essays written by hand.  

1.Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?           

A．The Importance of Typing

B．Practical and Aesthetic Value of Chinese Characters

C．Writing by Computer Will Replace Writing by Hand

D．To Type or to Write by Hand

2.The students interviewed prefer to type on a computer mainly because_______.

A．they can correct the mistakes quickly and conveniently

B．they are usually asked to e-mail their homework and essays

C．they find it hard to remember how to write a character

D．computers have become a trend and fashion in China

3.Which of the following statements is NOT true about advantages of handwriting?

A．Handwriting contains the writer's emotion.

B．Handwriting can impress people well and build their self-confidence.

C．The writer's thinking and personality are shown in his or her handwriting.

D．Chinese characters enjoy both practical and aesthetic value.

4.The underlined phrase in Paragraph 3 probably means________.

A．getting bored with                      B．becoming crazy about

C．becoming dependent on                  D．getting curious about