M When Paul was a boy growing up in Utah, he happened to live near a copper smelter(炼铜厂), and the chemicals that poured out had made a wasteland out of what used to be a beautiful forest. One day a young visitor looked at this wasteland and called it an awful area. Paul knocked him down. From then on, something happened inside him.

Years later Paul was back in the area, and he went to the smelter office. He asked if they had any plans or if they would let him try to bring the trees back.. The answer from that big industry was “No.”

Paul then went to college to study the science of plants. Unfortunately, his teachers said there weren't any birds or squirrels to spread the seeds. It would be a waste of his life to try to do it. Everyone knew that, he was told. Even if he was knowledgeable as he had expected, he wouldn’t get his idea accepted.

Paul later got married and had some kids. But his dream would not die. And then one night he did what he could with what he had. As Samuel Johnson wrote, “It is common to overlook what is near by keeping the eye fixed on something remote. Attainable good is often ignored by minds busied in wide ranges.” Under the cover of darkness, he went secretly into the wasteland and started planting.

And every week, he made his secret journey into the wasteland and planted trees and grass. For fifteen years he did this against the plain common sense. Slowly rabbits appeared. Later, as there was legal pressure to clean up the environment, the company actually hired Paul to do what he was already doing.

Now the place is fourteen thousand acres of trees and grass and bushes, and Paul has received almost every environmental award Utah has. It took him until his hair turned white, but he managed to keep that impossible vow he made to himself as a child.

When Paul was a boy, _____.

he had decided never to leave his hometown

the economy of Utah depended wholly on the copper smelter

no laws were made to protect the environment against pollution

he had determined to stop the copper smelter polluting the area

Why did Paul go to college to study the science of plants?

He wanted to find out the best way to save the area himself.

He was interested in planting trees since he was young.

He wanted to get more knowledgeable people to help him.

He thought his knowledge would make his advice more persuasive.

What does the underlined phrase “the plain common sense” probably refer to?

That it was impossible for trees to grow on the wasteland.

That his normal work and life would be greatly affected.

That no one would like to join him in the efforts.

That he had to keep everything he did secret.

The message of the passage is that _____.

action speaks louder than words

perseverance(持之以恒) will work wonders

God helps those who help themselves

many hands make light work

In a recent class I was asked “What is a short story?” My first answer was that it was something that could be read in one sitting and brought an illumination(启示)to the reader, sudden and golden like sunlight cracking(破裂, 砸开) through a heavy cloud. I went on to say that in my opinion a “real” short story was closer to poetry than to a novel.
Here are some definitions of the short story. My favorite is Benet's: “something that can be read in an hour and remembered for a lifetime”. One writer said, “The theme of a novel won't fit into the framework of a short story; It's like trying to squeeze a large painting done on a wall into the frame of a miniature (微型画)。 And as in a miniature painting, the details need to be sharp. ”
The short story is an example of one aspect of human nature. Often a character undergoes some event, something that offers him or her change. This is why it’s said that short stories usually “say something ”, often a small something, but sometimes delivered with such accuracy that the effect is strongly felt, even a life-moment for some readers, something similar to a religious experience or to witnessing a never-to-be-repeated scene in nature.
Ok, let’s form a definition here: A short story is an account, rarely over 10, 000 words or below 500 words-more commonly 1, 500 to 5, 000 words-a single-sitting read, but with enough time and weight to move the reader. It is narrow and focused to produce an effect through the story, most commonly through events affecting some change in an individual.
Writer Isabelle Allende once wrote: “Novels are, for me, adding up details, just work, work, work, then you're done. Short stories are more difficult-they have to be perfect, complete in themselves. ”
【小题1】The writer of the passage is probably a ______.

A.poetB.painterC.teacherD.student
【小题2】What should the ideal short story be in length?
A.at most 10, 000 wordsB.below 500 wordsC.over 5, 000wordsD.around 2, 000 words
【小题3】The underlined word “undergoes ” in the third paragraph probably means “________ ”。
A.experiences B.discoversC.discussesD.appreciates
【小题4】What’s the difference between novels and short stories?
A.Novels are too long for us to read.
B.Short stories are too short for us to read.
C.Short stories have more details than novels.
D.Short stories are more perfect and difficult than novels.
【小题5】What would be the best title for the passage?
A.How Do You Write a Short Story?B.What Exactly Is a Short Story?
C.Is a Short Story Similar to Poetry?D.Are Short Stories Perfect and Complete?

The Mayan Indians lived in Mexico for thousands of years. The Maya were so bright that they achieved a lot. They had farms, temples and cities with many buildings. They knew much about nature and the world around them. This knowledge helped them to live a better life than most people of that time.
In ancient Mexico there were many small clearings in the forest. In each clearing was a village with fields of crops around it. The Maya planted seeds after they cleared the land. A farmer was able to grow crops that produced for several people. But not every Maya had to be a farmer. Some were builders or priests (祭司).
The Maya believed in many gods. They built large temples to honor them. Skillful workers built cities around these temples. It was difficult because they had to carry all of the building materials themselves. Today, many of these ancient Mayan cities and temples are still standing.
Although the Maya worked hard to build the beautiful cities, very few of them lived in them. Usually, only the priests lived in the cities. The other people lived in small villages in the forests. Their houses were much simpler. Most Maya lived a simple life close to nature.
Measuring time correctly was important to the Maya, so Mayan priests made a system to keep track of time. They wrote numbers as dots ( … ) and bars ( — ). They also made a calendar (日历). The year was divided into 18 months of 20 days each with five days left over.
Around the year 800, the Maya left their villages and beautiful cities, never to return. No one knows why this happened. They may have died from a deadly disease. They may have left because the soil could no longer grow crops. The lost secrets of the Maya are still beyond the reach of modern people. They are still one of our greatest mysteries (神秘).
【小题1】The Maya lived better than most people of their times because _____.

A.they had skillful workers
B.they believed in many gods
C.they knew better about nature
D.they could measure time correctly
【小题2】It can be inferred from the passage that _____.
A.the calendar was first invented by the ancient Maya
B.the ancient Mayan cities and temples were well built
C.the ancient Mayan people led a happy life in the cities
D.the priests were not highly respected by the ancient Maya
【小题3】The underlined word “they” in the passage refers to _____.
A.the Mayan peopleB.the Mayan villages
C.the Mayan citiesD.the lost secrets of the Maya
【小题4】Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
A.The Life of the MayaB.The Cities of the Maya
C.The Mystery of the MayaD.The Belief of the Maya

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