Fort Scott High School English teacher Emily Rountree has been working this semester to raise money for Charity Water, a nonprofit organization that uses 100 percent public donations to help fund water projects in places without access to clean drinking water. Her goal was to motivate her students to use their writing in class to make a real-world difference. Twelve students got top grades for the project, and their articles will be published both in The Tribune and online. Here is one example:

Did you know that there are many countries around the world that don’t have access to safe drinking water? Just think: that could be you, or someone in your family. My name is Tanner Johnson, and I attend Fort Scott High School. In my English classes, we are trying to raise money for Charity Water. Charity Water is an organization that helps people get water in countries where there is no safe drinking water.

In developing countries, 780 million people don’t have access to clean drinking water. In Africa alone, people spend 40 billion hours every year just walking to get water. Women and children are the ones that mainly do the walking. They could be attacked or get hurt while they travel to get water. When they do get home, the water that they have brought is unsafe water from swamps, ponds, or rivers. If they had safe drinking water, they wouldn’t have to worry about these problems, and they wouldn’t be wasting hours of their day. Unsafe drinking water causes many different kinds of diseases that could lead to death.

You could help save someone’s life, by donating $20 so we can help get them some safe drinking water. You can easily donate online at mycharitywater.org/fshsenglish, or you can send a check to Emily Rountree, payable to Fort Scott High School. If we don’t help these people, then who will?

1. How can the students make a difference to the world?

A. By donating all their pocket money.

B. By collecting money in their spare time.

C. By giving away their money from what they earn by writing.

D. By behaving well in class.

2. From what Tanner Johnson said, we know that ____________.

A. the students know a lot about the world

B. the students have a positive attitude

C. the students work hard at their lessons

D. the students work at Charity Water

3. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that ____________.

A. only a few people have donated money

B. it is easy to lend a hand to those in need

C. staff at the website will collect all the money

D. it is easiest to pay by check

Part of the fun of watching sports events is following an exciting rivalry (竞争关系).

But where do all these rivalries come from?

Some rivalries start because athletes spend a lot of time close to opponents (对手).

Other rivalries get personal. Things that one rival says that are thought to be not respectful to the other can cause a rivalry, even if the words are misunderstood. And sometimes, rivalries grow just because the athletes don’t like each other’s personalities.

Some sports may also be more likely than others to cause rivalries. “Some sports only meet a few times, so there is less chance for rivalries to build,” For example, in sports where athletes perform on their own, such as diving, rivalries might also take longer to appear than in sports in which athletes compete at the same time. But in tennis, players often face each other, and rivalries are more likely to happen.

So do the rivalries do good or harm to the athletes?

Some believe that rivalries can be a good thing because they encourage athletes to try harder to win. But rivalries can also become too personal, taking athletes’ attention away from their sports.

Keegan agreed that rivalries often do athletes more harm than good. “They can be a huge distraction (分散注意力的事) and lead to focusing on the opponent more than the game,” he said.

“Top athletes often have physical and mental training that they follow in order to worry less and prepare to compete”, Gould further explained. An important part of that preparation is preventing from distractions, including rivalries.

“The better athletes don’t care too much about a rivalry – they try to treat every competition the same,” Gould told LiveScience.

1.According to the article, which of the following sports is least likely to cause a rivalry?

A. Tennis. B. Swimming. C. Diving. D. Soccer.

2.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the article?

A. Rivalries between athletes may result from misunderstandings.

B. The more often you meet your opponent, the more you dislike him or her.

C. Rivalries mainly come from a dislike for each other’s personalities.

D. Audiences easily get bored if there are few rivalries in a competition.

3.Why does Keegan think rivalries could do more harm than good to athletes?

A. Rivalries could result in physical and mental suffering.

B. Rivalries could cause athletes to worry needlessly.

C. Rivalries could drive athletes to train too hard.

D. Rivalries could distract athletes from their sports.

4.In Gould’s eyes, top athletes ______.

A. care little about their competition

B. focus more on the game than on their opponents

C. treat every competition as daily training

D. take every possible opportunity to become stronger

During my early twenties, to make my parents stop feeling angry, and simply to escape, I decided to live in my birthplace for a period of time, something I'd sworn I would never do. My parents were thrilled. They prayed that I'd come back triumphantly with a picture-perfect bridegroom. That was the furthest thing from my mind as I packed my faded jeans, tank tops, boots, and a photo of my freckle-faced then-boyfriend who was of Scottish descent.

The moment I landed in Seoul, I was aware of how much I felt like a misfit. All my life I had tried to blend into the dominant culture and couldn't. And finally, when I was in a place where everyone looked like me, I still stood out. I took it for granted that I'd feel a sense of freedom. I thought I'd blend into the landscape. This was not the case. People stared at me with curious eyes. I became conscious of my American-girl swaggering body movements and inappropriate dress.

Collecting my courage, I traveled to the demilitarized zone on my own. I touched the high barbed-wire fence that stretched across the belly of the peninsula(半岛), dividing Korea in half. I visited thousand-year-old temples and magnificent palace gates that had survived modernization and centuries of battle. I met with distant cousins who welcomed me with outstretched arms into their homes and related heroic tales about my mother and Halmoni (Grandmother) during the war. How Halmoni had led her young children out of north to the United Nation-backed south. How my mother, at the age of thirteen, saved the life of her baby sister.

I listened with such an overwhelming thirst that when I returned to the States a year and a half later, I began to ask my parents and Halmoni (who had immigrated to the States some time after we did) all about the past. The past was no longer a time gone by, a dead weight. I now saw that it held ancient treasures. And the more I dug and discovered, the more I felt myself being steered toward a future I had never imagined for myself. I began to write. I didn't even know I could write. My family helped me knit stories into a book using Halmoni's voice. As her powerful words moved through me I was able to reflect and meditate on the ridiculous life I had fashioned for myself. I could feel my sense of self rising. This sparked a newfound awareness and excitement. I became a spokeswoman on Korean culture, traveling to various college campuses across the country. “Be proud. Embrace your heritage.” I said to young Korean American students wearing extra-large, trendy sportswear. But the whole time I was lecturing, I had very little understanding of what that self-concept meant. I was merely talking the talk. I hadn't yet fully embraced my own identity.

1.Why did the author leave America for her birthplace?

A. Because she broke up with her boyfriend and wanted to be alone.

B. Because she decided to be separated from her parents for a while.

C. Because she was forced by her parents to get married in Korea.

D. Because she longed for the travel in her birthplace on her own.

2.According to the passage, the author suggests that her original expectations about visiting Korea were ________.

A. unrealistic and na?ve

B. misguided and dangerous

C. ambitious and ridiculous

D. sensible and practical

3.What was the author's attitude toward the ancient monuments she visited in Korea?

A. She was curious about their original functions.

B. She was astonished at their size.

C. She admired their capacity to endure.

D. She was surprised at their beauty.

4.According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?

A. The author's attitude toward her family's earlier experiences changed from indifference to fascination.

B. The author felt extremely free when in Korea because it was the place where she looked like others.

C. The author wrote her family's stories in first person with the help of her grandmother.

D. The author was aware of her own national identity and knew what she was actually doing.

5. Which statement most closely parallels the author's conclusion about knowledge of the past?

A. It is a treasure that should be guarded.

B. It is often most valued during early adulthood.

C. It can enhance appreciation of ancient cultures.

D. It can help individuals attain deeper self-concept.

The term “to extend an olive branch” means to make an offer of peace or reconciliation(和好). This term has Biblical origins, coming from the section of the Old Testament that deals with the flood; the sign that the flood is over is an olive branch brought back to the ark(方舟) by a dove. Olive branches were also symbols of peace in Ancient Greece and Rome, and they continue to be used in various works of art that are meant to suggest peace.

Some people have suggested that the olive was a very deliberate and well-considered choice as a metaphor(比喻)for peace, because olive trees famously take years to mature. War is typically very, hard on the trees because people cannot take the time to nurture them and plant new ones. Therefore, the offer of an olive branch would suggest that someone is tired of war, whether it be an actual war or a falling out between friends.

In Ancient Greek and Roman times, people would offer actual olive branches. In Rome, for example, defeated armies traditionally carried olive branches to indicate that they were giving in, and the Greeks used them into weddings and other ceremonies. In the modem era, the branch is usually metaphorical, rather than actual, not least because the plants can be a bit difficult to obtain.

Many people agree that peace negotiations (谈判)at all levels of society are a good idea. Between nations, obviously, it is important to extend an olive branch to ensure mutual safety and to help the world run more smoothly. This act can also be important on a personal level, as resolving conflict and learning to get along with others is viewed as an important life skill in many cultures.

At some point m their lives, many people will be advised to extend an olive branch to settle a dispute or resolve an issue. Some people believe that it takes an immense amount of courage to take this action, as it often comes with an admission of wrongdoing and regret.

1.According to the Bible,___________

A. an olive branch suggests flood is coming.

B. the ark is made of olive tree wood.

C. an olive branch means flood is over

D. a dove loves to settle on the olive branch.

2.The olive is considered a good choice as a metaphor for peace for the following reasons EXCEPT .

A. olive trees famously take years to mature

B. olive branches make people tired of war

C. war is typically very hard on the trees

D. people cannot take the time to nurture them while at war

3.Why are actual olive branches seldom used in modem times ?

A. Olive trees are being protected now.

B. Olive tress are planted only in certain countries.

C. Olive tress can be far to seek.

D. There is no need to use real olive branches.

4.It can be learned from the text that to extend an olive branch________

A. is not important on a personal level

B. is only important between nations.

C. takes a lot of courage.

D. is an important life skill m many cultures.

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