The pupils of Grangetown High have been busy getting to know their newest and tallest classmate — a 7-meter-tall giraffe outside their school.

The giraffe is a huge sculpture (雕像) made by a local artist. The school's headmaster noticed the sculpture in the artist's garden as he drove past one day, and thought it would be perfect for his school. “I knew everyone would love it,” he said, “because our basketball team is known as the Grangetown Giraffes, and they wear giraffes on their shirts. So I asked them to write a letter to the artist, asking how much it would cost to buy the giraffe. He was very kind and got it ready to deliver (递送) in six weeks — all for nothing! It was expected to arrive one Sunday morning, so that the pupils would see it when they got to school on Monday — at that time they had no idea that we were getting it.”

The artist, Tom Bennett, was a university professor (教授) of chemistry before he left that job in 2006 and only took up metalwork a couple of years ago. “I've always drawn pictures,” he said. “I can even remember doing it on my first day at school — I drew a horse. I wanted it to be the best horse picture ever, but I don't think I succeeded.” Tom's first metalwork was a bicycle for two that he and his wife could go cycling on together. “It was the most uncomfortable bike ever created,” he said, “so I gave up making bicycles and went into sculpture instead.”

Meanwhile the pupils at Grangetown High are very happy with their new classmate. “We're going to hold a competition to give it a proper name,” said one girl. “Everyone likes the expression on its face, so perhaps that will give us some ideas.”

1.According to the text, the giraffe _____.

A. was as tall as a basketball player

B. was given to Grangetown High for free

C. was sent to Grangetown High on Monday

D. was specially made for a basketball team

2.When the pupils got to school on Monday, they probably felt _____.

A. shy B. sad

C. excited D. confident

3.What can we learn about Tom Bennett?

A. He showed interest in art at an early age.

B. He was good at drawing, especially horses.

C. He visited Grangetown High as a professor.

D. He learned a lot about sculpture at university.

4.What's the main idea of the text?

A. It was a difficult job to name a giraffe.

B. Tom Bennett is well-known as a sculptor.

C. The Grangetown Giraffes is a strong team.

D. A metal giraffe arrived at Grangetown High.

My grandma whom we all called Nanny was a solid, first-generation, Italian immigrant. She came to this country with her family on a tiny ship during World War I when she was only 8 years old. During the trip she survived stormy seas, little food, and an attack by a German U-boat. After getting here, her large family worked hard to build a new life in America. They never had much money but were rich in love.

One day, when I was about 5 or 6 years old, my parents and brothers went on a trip. It was just me and Nanny in the house for the weekend. Nanny seemed so happy to be taking care of me all by herself. She made me a special breakfast that first morning. However, all I could do was complain about how the food was not how Mom always made it. Nanny quietly put down the plate and went into the living room. I followed a minute later and saw that she had tears in her eyes. It was the first time I had ever seen my strong and proud grandmother cry and I was the one who had caused it.

I walked over to Nanny, climbed on her lap, and for the first time in my short life I did something else too. I apologized without being told to and asked Nanny to forgive me. She smiled, rubbed my head, and told me I was a good boy even though I didn’t feel like one then.

That memory just like my Nanny’s love will stay in my heart forever. It is a sign of both strength and wisdom. Asking for forgiveness helps us to learn to grow, and to love.

1.Why did Nanny’s family immigrate to America?

A. Because they suffered starvation in their homeland.

B. Because they wanted to start a rich life in the new land.

C. Because they tried to get away from the terrible climate.

D. Because their country was in war and they needed peace.

2.The boy complained to Nanny that the food _______.

A. wasn’t cooked the way his mom did

B. was served a bit later than usual

C. was prepared in a special way

D. was just to his parents’ taste

3.When seeing Nanny crying in the living room, the author felt _______.

A. surprised B. ashamed

C. shocked D. annoyed

4.What does the author mainly want to tell us?

A. Forgiveness can be beneficial to people asking for it.

B. Hardships can make children more indifferent (漠不关心的).

C. Grandparents are more tolerant than their grandchildren.

D. Family ties can sometimes be misused.

India is an ancient civilization with rich cultural heritage (遗产), and its cultural heritage has something to do with all major religions (宗教)of the world. Here we take a look at some of the top heritage destinations in India.

Sun Temple, Konark

As the name suggests this temple is all about the power of the sun God. A huge chariot (二轮战车) drawn by seven horses and twelve pairs of wheels reflect(反映) the importance which ancient people placed on the power of the sun. The pictures of animals and humans give this place a special look.

Churches Goa

Goa is the only Indian state which was controlled by the Portuguese (葡萄牙人), so the scene in Goa is dotted with (点缀着) Portuguese style churches. Some of the famous churches include the church of Saint Catherine, church of Saint Augustine and church of saint Francis of Assisi. These churches show beautiful paintings and flower designs which make them a must visit.

Ajanta and Ellora Caves

These caves contain well designed paintings which are widely regarded as the most outstanding works of Buddhist religious art.

Taj Mahal, Agra

Built on the bank of the Yamuna River, it is an excellent building. The writing and paintings on the outside structure provide the finest examples of the outstanding style of buildings.

Sanchi

Sanchi is a UNESCO world heritage site with numerous Buddhist temples dating back to the seventh and eighth centuries.

On your visit to India, be sure to visit some of these heritage destinations. An Indian journey is not wonderful without experiencing the beauty of these heritage destinations.

1.What can we learn from the passage?

A. Indian cultural heritage has something to do with religions.

B. The Portuguese controlled the whole India two centuries ago.

C. Ellora Caves only have statues of animals.

D. The church of Saint Catherine is the earliest one in the world.

2.The ancient Indians thought that ___________ was important .

A. animals B. ancient civilization

C. ancient temples D. the sun’s power

3.What is the main idea of the passage?

A. Introducing several top heritage destinations in India.

B. The great effect that Indian religion has on culture.

C. India has rich cultural heritage in the world.

D. India is famous for its cultural heritage.

4.If you want to know something about Buddhist monument you can visit_________

A. Sun Temple, Konark, B. Chuches Goa,

C. Ajanta and Ellora Caves, D. Sanchi

Every March, the Country celebrates .he accomplishments oilmen in American history. Even though these accomplishments go back a long way, most schools didn't start focusing on women pioneers and their achievements until recently. Today, most colleges offer classes in women's history and most schools teach kids about the many contribtions women have made to our country.

On March 19,1911,a German woman named Clara Zetkin organized the very first International Women's Day. Inspired by American working women, the annual event took on the causes of peace and women' s rights. In the 1960s, the women 's movement caused women to wonder why they weren't included in the history books.

By the 1970s, more female historians began to look back at the contributions of women in history. In 1978, a California school district started Women's History Week to promote the leaching of women' s history. School officials picked the week of March 8 to include International Women's Day. It was so popular that, in 1981, Congress passed a law making the week a celebration for the entire country. The concept of studying women's history

continued to grow in popularity. In 1987, a group of women asked Congress to amplify the celebration. That same year, Congress declared the entire month of March National Women's History Month.

Today, schools and communities across the country celebrate the month with special lessons and activities designed to teach the ways women have helped shape the U.S. The women who have worked hard to make Women's History Month a reality would like to see women s history studied all year, not just every March. In 1996, the National Women' s History Museum was founded. It's a non-profit organization devoted to preserving and clebrating the various contributions of women in histoty. The organization is working with

Congress to open a permanent museum site in Washington, D. C.

1.What does the first paragraph imply?

A. More women pioneers are needed in America.

B. Women's achievements u?ed to be ignored in America.

C. Celebrating women's achievements has a long history in America.

D. Few American schools pay attention to women’s contributions.

2.According to the text, International Womenys Day__________.

A. is held every second year

B. was started by an American

C. has a history of over a century

D. was a product of women's movement

3.Which of the following words can replace the underlined word “amplify” in Paragraph 3?

A. expand B. support

C. organize D. protect

4.What can we know about the National Women’s History Museum from the text?

A. It was set up less than two decades ago.

B. It has a permanent site in Washington, D.

C. It U an organization aimed at making profits.

D. It focuses on women's historic contributions.

The key avoiding a cold be as simple as keeping your nose warm with a scarf when you go outside in winter.

Research shows that low temperatures make it harder for the body to fight off the virus that causes half of the colds in adults and almost all colds in children.The finding backs up the popular idea that people are more likely to catch a cold if they feel freezing,perhaps by putting on a coat in winter or going out with wet hair.

The U.S. Researchers looked at how well rhinovirus(鼻病毒),the biggest cause of the common cold,grew in cells kept at different temperatures.The virus found it easier to breed(繁殖)at 33℃-the sort of temperature typically found inside the nose-than at the 37℃ found deep inside the body.

Researchers also found that the body’s initial immune response(免疫反应)to the cold did not work as well at 33℃,the same temperatures.The virus was followed to cause damage.The experiments were carried out on cells taken from mice,but the result may also be relevant to humans-including the one in five who carry the rhinovirus in their nose at any given time.

Ron Eccles,a leading British expert on the common cold,suggests that those anxious to avoid a cold try taking vitamin D because we tend to be low on it during the winter.

1.Which of the following is more likely to cause a cold?

A. Wrapping a scarf around the nose in winter. B. Putting on a coat in winter.

C. Going out with wet hair. D. Taking vitamin

2.What is the percentage of people who carry the rhinovirus in their nose at any given time?

A. 10%. B. 20%

C. 50% D. 80%

3.Why does Ron Eccles suggest taking vitamin D in winter to avoid a cold?

A. Because human bodies contain less vitamin D in winter.

B. Because human bodies contain more vitamin D in winter.

C. Because many people avoid taking vitamin D in winter.

D. Because many people favor vitamin D in winter.

4.What can be learned from the text?

A. It is easier for the body to fight off cold virus in low temperatures.

B. The finding may be easily accepted by the public.

C. The typical temperature inside the nose is 37℃.

D. The virus is very likely to do harm at 37℃.

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