题目内容

“Big Ed” Pulaski

   Fire almost killed me in the summer of 1910. I owe my life to a man whose quick-thinking and bravery while rescuing Jtne and 38 other firefighters made him a legend.

    I had been sent to battle wildfires in northern Idaho. Lightning strikes had started the fires,and high winds made them spread in every direction. Then,one afternoon in late August,a windstorm broke over the mountains,and the winds,exploded into one giant firestorm. We had to give up and get out of there.

    But none of US knew the mountains. Heavy,dark smoke was turning day into night,and we had no idea what to do.

    Then I saw him — Forest Service Ranger Edwjrd “Big Ed” Pulaski. He was on his horse,pushing through the burning, (发出劈啦声的) trees,gathering men together as he rode.

    “Follow me!” he ordered. “There's an abandoned mineshaft （矿道) nearby. Our only hope is to make it there!” Pulaski gave his horse to a man who couldn’t run,and we began a desperate race for the mineshaft. Trees fell down around US. Flames were everywhere.

   Then I noticed that Pulaski had stopped running. I could see him push men into a dark hole on the side of a mountain. Minutes after all of US had scrambled （爬）inside,fire swept over our path.

    We were out after hours. It was early morning. Sometime in the night the^ fire had burned itself out. Five of the crew had died during the night. The rest of us survived!

    All of us were injured or burned. Pulaski was blind,and his hands were burned. He finally regained his sight. Because of his quick thinking and heroism,I am able to tell this story of our amazing survival.Find the words in the text that fit the following descriptions.

1 . n. a very famous person,especially in a particular field,who is admired by other people (in Paragraph 1)

2. adj. giving little hope of success (in Paragraph 4)

1.legend  2.desperate
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Trust has been considered as the basis of any relationship,including friendship. No relationship can last long with a lack of trust. Not many of your friends will have real faith in you as you would like to believe. 1       Sometimes,it takes years,even a complete lifetime,to trust someone. However,how do we know if our friends have faith in us?

2        With whom will you share things that you don't want everyone to know? It would be with a close friend,whom you trust as much as you trust yourself.

Whom do you look up to for advice when you need it the most? It has to be either your parents or your friends. 3       This is a shining example of trust. You only seek advice from people you hold in high regard and find dependable. The friends who trust you will never forget to include you in the important decisions of their life.

Arguments and heated discussions are a part of every relationship,and this is also true for friendship. 4       While some people find it difficult to forgive and forget,your friends will never have problems moving on. It is because they trust you and believe that you will never cause any pain to them on purpose.

There are times in life when you find yourself a lonely soldier. 5       Your friends will never let you down and will strongly stand for you when you need encouragement. You can determine that they trust you and believe in your beliefs,if they side with you when you need them the most.

   A. People can be extraordinarily jealous sometimes.

   B. You know they will never pass on a wrong suggestion.

   C. In fact,winning trust is,by far,the most challenging aspect of relationships.

   D. Two people cannot have identical reactions to a situation and different opinions do exist.

   E. No matter how close you are to your friends,you cannot take that comfort level for granted.

   F. If your friends share their secrets,there's a good possibility that they have much faith in you.

   G. However,people who are fortunate to have been blessed with true friends are never alone in any battle.

1.         2.                  3.                  4.          5.       

            C       ★★★★☆ 

    Deep in a research lab in New Jersey,16-year-old Alon Millet carefully presses out tiny drops of a special solution(溶液) onto rows of bean(绿豆) he has raised from seed. It's a task he,s patiently performed for nearly three years. He is trying to help in the fight against world hunger.

    The US Agency for Inteb iational Development (USAID) — an organization that works to end poverty (贫穷) 一thinks Alon may be onto something very big. The teenager was one of four students to get a US $10,000 award from the agency last year — chosen from among 1,700 secondary schools in more than 70 countries.

    Courtney Mason,the program manager for the US Global Development Lab,called Alon’s work the“most promising” among hundreds of projects the agency has reviewed at science competitions across America. “Alon’s seed breeding(培植) will probably change the way plants are grovel in the developing world,making them survive drought and natural disasters,” Mason said.

    Alon has some of the usual interests of a teenager,like playing video games,but he also loves to read scientific research papers. One day more than three years ago,Alon was reading about research with his father by an Israeli company that had used a certain solution to make trees grow larger. And that,in turn,helped to produce more paper with fewer trees.

    “So I started thinking, ‘What else could this be used  for?’ ”Alon said.

    He chose the mung bean,which is a main food in the developing world,and got in touch with the company,FuturaGene,who agreed to share some of the solution. He started experimenting. Could he make the beans grow larger and survive bad weather conditions? After two years of measuring,testing and examining,he proved that he could. Now He’s on his 26th experiment with his mung beans.

9. What's the purpose of Alon’s experiments?

   A. To write a scientific paper.

   B. To help solve the problem of world hunger.

    C. To enter a science competition.

   D. To win an award from USAID.   

10. What is Courtney Mason's attitude toward Alon’ s work?

   A. He thinks it useless.

   B. He thinks highly of it. 

    C. He is curious about it.

   D. He is strongly against it.

11. What is Paragraph 4 mainly about?

   A. Alon’s unusual hobbies.

   B. The influence of Alon’s father on him. 

    C. How Alon’s research was performed.

   D. What inspired Alon to do his research.

12. What would be the best title for the text?

   A. Hungry for answers

   B. Mung beans in the lab

    C. Alon’ s 26th experiment   

    D. The seriousness of poverty 

          B  ★★★☆☆

    Social media users are hoping to make one student feel a little less lonely. Aron Anderson,a 10-year-old known as “Britain's loneliest schoolboy ,” made headlines last year for being the only student at Skerries Community School. While the school previously had a few other students,the kids had since left for secondary school,making last year Aron's first year as the only pupil there.

    After Reddit employer Jimmy got wind of Aron's story,the social media user called on followers to send Christmas cards to the 10-year-old to help show the boy he has friends across the Internet. “I really want to see a big smile on his face,” Jimmy wrote. “So please write a message in the card to show your support too!”

    The idea got praise and support from many kind people across the Internet. Jimmy reached out to the boy s school,informing them of the thoughtful plan. The moderator requested that people outside Scotland send postcards to Aron,so the boy could see where his ans come from. The Redditor also asked social media users to send the cards after December 7 so that the sweet messages would all arrive around the same time.

    Last year was ind?ed an adjustment (调整) for Aron,whose town has a population of 70. Aron’s best friends are now his dog,ducks,and sheep. Aron’s mother Denise Anderson is unsure how her son will deal with the (孤独) .Aron admits that going to school without other students can be strange at times; however,he says that h? sNhappy on the island. Hopefully,the cards will help remind him that he’s not so alone after all.

5. Why was Aron so lordly last year?

   A. He had no schoolmates at school.

   B. He was sent to a new school.

    C. He lived far away-from his family.

   D. He was not popular among friends.

6. According to the text,the cards to Aron .

   A. were paid by Jimmy

   B. mainly came from Scotland

    C. reached him about the same time   

    D. were refused at first by his school

7. How does Aron’s mother feel about her son’s school life?

   A. She is surprised at it.

   B. She is satisfied with it. 

   C. She is hopeful about it.

   D. She is concerned about it.

8. Which of the following can best describe Jimmy?

   A. Amusing and kind.

   B. Friendly and brave,

   C. Confident and careful.

   D. Warm-hearted and active.

          C  ★★★★★

    Farmers digging a field near Chelsea,Michigan,were surprised to uncover a nearly complete mammoth skeleton The mammoth once lived there about 12 ,000 years ago. The Ice Age bones raise a question about whether people or a changing climate killed the beasts.

    Researcher Dan Fisher is from the University of Michigan. He believes that prehistoric people killed the newly found mammoth,and put what they didn't immediately eat in a freezing lake. Other scientists say they are not certain what killed the creature until the bones are examined for cut marks and other evidence.

    There is little evidence that humans hunted mammoths,says Donald Grayson of the University of Washington. A paper notes that of 76 Ice Age mammal kill sites,only 12 in the whole of North America suggest human hunting. That suggests that over-hunting was not the primary cause of the extinction of the mammoth.

    Climate might have been key to the disaster. As humans were moving onto the continent,the global climate was rapidly changing,moving from cold and dry to warm and wet.

    This changing climate rapidly swept out the cool,dry grasslands that mammoths preferred. Combined with other (生态的) changes,such as the arrival of bison (野牛) from Europe and Asia and forests springing up here grasslands once spread,mammoths were driven out of their former living places. The very last of the mammoths on Wrangel Island off northern Siberia died out about 4 ,000 years ago.

    Extinction is rarely the result of a single cause. Perhaps,as the Chelsea mammoth slowly tells its secrets,it will add a little more to the continuing discussion over life and death during the Ice Age.

9. What do we know about the newly found mammoth skeleton?

    ?. It was found in a freezing lake.

   B. It was discovered by a scientist,

    C. There were cuts on the skeleton.

   D. Most of the skeleton were discovered.

10. The paper mentioned in Paragraph 3 proves that

   A. mammoths were rare in North America

   B. there were 76 mammal kill sites in North America

    C. mammoths were overhunted by prehistorical humans

   D. overhunting was not the leading cause of mammoths’ extinction 

11. Because of the changing climate during the Ice Age, .

   A. mammoths could get more food

   B. mammoths were suffering from habitat loss 

    C. mammoths had to move to cool and dry places   

    D. forests mammoths liked were replaced by grasslands

12. What would be the best title for the text?

   A. What killed these giants

   B. Mammoths and overhunting

    C. The climate change in the Ice Age   

    D. The reason for extinction uncovered 

                  A

   John Sand was one of the most influential teachers I have ever met. During high school,he taught me more than any other teacher had been able to.

   He developed unusual methods of teaching. He did not give US homework on the first day and have it due the next; instead,he gave US a homework schedule for the term and left it up to US to remember to do it. By doing so,he prepared US for life after high school,where it would be up to US to make our own work schedules.

   Mr. Sand was a family man. He made use of whatever time we had left in class to show US his latest vacation videos or his children's sports videos. It was nice to see,in a world where a broken home is the average home,a man who balanced his family and his career so nicely. 

   Mr. Sand always encouraged US to get out of our little close-minded society of Wethersfield and explore the cultures of the world. He would tell US stories of his travels across Europe and his adventures around the US. Many teachers just forced the idea of college and ignored our heed to reach outside of what we know.

   Many people may not ever have a teacher like Mr. Sand. I feel sorry for them. Mr. Sand taught me things that went beyond the curriculum (课程) and let me know how powerful a teachers influence could be.

1. How did Mr. Sand deal with students,homework?

   A. .He always avoided giving it.

   B. He punished those failing to finish it.

    C. He wanted students to be responsible for it.

   D. He spent enough time every day checking it.

2. What do we know about Mr. Sand from Paragraph 3 ?

   A. He only had one child.

   B. He had a great love for life.

    C. He liked doing sports after work.

   D. He valued his job more than his family.

3. Mr. Sand shared his tours around Europe with his students to .

   A. lead them to know more

   B. encourage them to become brave

    C. inspire them to care for others

   D. show them how to spend their free time

4. What would be the best title for the text?.

   A. Teachers I like best

   B. An outstanding teacher 

    C. Teaching,a great career

   D. How to be a caring teacher 

   Here's some good news for the grim: A new study shows that unhappiness itself has no direct effect on whether people will die before their time. Women in poor health are more likely to be unhappy, ：but their unhappiness does not increase their overall ?总体的) risk of e?rly de?th.

   "Earlier research on happiness and health coiifiises cause and effect,” said study co-author Professor Richard Peto. Illness makes you unhappy and causes stress. Illness is the thing causing unhappiness,not unhappiness causing illness. Researchers tracked the health records of 1.3 million women between 1996 and 2001. About one out of SIX in the group said they were generally unhappy. The death rate among the unhappy was the same as that among the generally happy.

   In the new study,women who were already in poor health tended to say that they were unhappy,stressed,not in control and not relaxed. aIf you want to be happy,then the main thing you need to do is remain healthy,^ Peto said. aPeople say that if you but your health depend^ on what you do in your daily life. Going around with a positive attitude but still sm (^mg,that does no good to your health. We need to concentrate on the few important practicial causes of early death.".

   However,this study does not completely shut the door on the possible health effects of unhappiness,because the researchers only looked at how unhappiness affected a person's risk of dying.“Health is a broader (概念) ,” said researcher Ban-eto. Barreto also noted that the sample only included women who,on average,were in late middle age.Therefore,in my opinion,the debate is not yet closed,Ba?eto said. ^Further research is still needed in the ??eld of unhappiness and medical outcomes."

9.The underlined part “the grim” in Paragraph 1 probably refers to those who are.

   A. unhappy   B. unhealthy

    C. unimportant   D. unsuccessful

10. What is the main idea of Paragraph 2 ?

   A. Happiness can improve health.

   B. The unhappy have a higher death rate. .

    C. Illness doesn't  necessarily cause death.

   D. Unhappiness doesn’ t  directly lead to illness.

11. Which of the following can best sum up Peto’ s  idea on health?

   A. Rome is not built in a day.

   B. Time and tide wait for no man. 

    C. Actions speak louder than words.

   D. Where there is a will,there is a way.

12. What does Barreto think of the findings?

   A. They are meaningless.

   B. They need improving.

    C. They are not clear enough.

   D. They mislead some people. 

   When the game of fistball (浮士 德球) was invented is not known. What is certain,however,is that its roots lie in southern Europe,perhaps in Italy. The earliest report of the game was written by Roman ：Emperor Gordian III in the year 240. Rules for an Italian fistball were recorded by Antonius Scaiono in 1555.

   In the 16th century the game started to be played. However,it was seen less as a game of competitive nature and more as a game for.(贵族成员) to play for fun. In 1786,Johann Wolfgang von Goethe mentioned flstball games in his diary Italian Journey.

   It was only in 1870 that fistball was introduced to Germany by Georg Weber. The sport was soon seen as a gymnastic sport. Fistball first appeared in 1885 at the German Gymnastic Festival in Dresden. The play and scoring,however,differed greatly from those of flstball as it is known today.

   During this time the sport spread to the surrounding,mainly German-speaking,neighboring countries and German emigrants (R) also spread the sport to other continents,particularly in South America and West Africa. Fistball was first introduced to the United States in 1911 by high school teacher Christopher Carlton who had experienced it first-hand on a Slimmer vacation to Italy.

   At the 1913 German Gymnastics Festival in Leipzig,the first Gennan men' s championship was held. In 1921,the first women* s  fistball championship was held. Fistball,while still a game affiliated to the Gymnastics Association,began to grow independently. In 1927,almost 12,000 teams played organized fistball in Germany.

   In order to encourage the development of fistball,the International Fistball Association (IFA) was founded m 1960. The first IFA Men* s World Championship was held in Linz,Austria in 1968 with West Germany winning the gold. The first IFA Women,s World Championship was held in Buenos Aires,Argentina in 1994 with Germany winning the gold.

9. Fistball has its origins in.

   A. Austria   B. Germany

    C. South America   D. . southern Europe 

10. In the 16th century,fistball.

   A. was regarded as a gymnastic sport

   B. was first reported by Antonius Scaiono

    C. was played by nobles for enjoyment

   D. began to become popular with Germans

11. What is Paragraph 4 mainly about?

   A. The spreading of fistball.

   B. The vacation of a school teacher.

    C. The experiences of German emigrants.

   D. The popularity of fistball in West Africa.

12. The underlined part “affiliated to” in Paragraph 5 probably means .

   A. independent of   B. connected with 

    C. separated from   D. different from

3. I think the farmer shouldn’t (save) that snake.

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