题目内容
This year Canada’s navy is one hundred years old. To mark the occasion, military ships from six different countries around the Pacific Ocean came to Canada for a four-day celebration. There were parades, parties and demonstrations of navy search and rescue aircraft and a show put on by the Snowbirds.
The Snowbirds, Canada’s aerobatic team, fly Tudor jet aircraft that are not particularly fast or particularly new but with amazing and sometimes hair-raising precision. They put a formation of nine aircraft into a space that would normally hold only one and they change the information in flight, roll it, loop it, break it and reform it in a dizzying ballet in the sky. The Snowbirds are one of the best aerobatic flying teams in the world and they are a readily recognized symbol of Canada just as the Great Wall is a recognized symbol of China. For a Canadian, watching the Snowbirds fly can bring tears. They make us very proud.
The Snowbirds have been flying since 1971. All of the pilots are serving members of the Canadian Air Force. They are all very young, all are highly-skilled and each is attached to the Snowbirds for two or three years. Each winter they practice in the cold, clear skies and each summer they put on more than fifty air-shows across the country and sometimes abroad. What they do is highly specialized. They often fly less than two meters from each other at speeds of about seven hundred and fifty kilometers an hour.
Flying is, by its nature, inherently risky and what the Snowbirds do increases that risk. While the pilots are all highly trained professionals, eight Snowbird pilots have been killed over the years. I have been fortunate enough to watch the Snowbirds fly probably fifteen or twenty times and if I know they are going to be flying I will go to see them again and again. This is not because I want to see someone do something dangerous, it is because I want to see something done so well—it is almost unbelievably precise and beautiful. I want to watch nine aircraft in an incredibly tight formation, each one painted in the red and white of my country’s flag, soaring through the cloudless blue sky. I want to feel that pride and that tear just behind my eyelids that comes from watching something uniquely and wonderfully Canadian.
1..
Which of the following is TRUE about the Snowbirds?
A. The aircraft they fly are particularly fast and new.
B. They are the best aerobatic flying team in the world.
C. They are regarded as a symbol of Canada.
D. Every year they put on more than fifty air-shows across the country.
2..
. The underlined word “inherently” in the last paragraph refers to .
A. naturally B. truly C. entirely D. nearly
3..
Why does the author like to watch the Snowbirds fly?
A. Because he wants to see someone do something dangerous.
B. Because the flying is unbelievably precise and beautiful.
C. Because his country’s flag is painted on each one.
D. Because watching them fly can make people cry.
4..
Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?
A. Air-shows of the Snowbirds
B. A Four-day Celebration of Canada
C. The Training of Highly-skilled Pilots
D. A National Symbol -- the Snowbirds
1..C
2..A
3..B
4..D
【解析】 略
A few years ago, I had the opportunity to play the character of Ronald McDonald for the McDonald's Corporation.
One day each month,we visited hospitals bringing a little happiness to the children there. But there were two rules placed on me during a visit. First, I could not go anywhere in the hospital without permission. And second, I could not physically touch anyone within the hospital. They did not want me to carry germs(细菌)from one patient to another. Breaking either of these rules, I was told, I could lose my job. One day, as I was heading down a hallway and on my way home, I heard a little voice coming through a halfopened door,“Ronald,Ronald.”
I stepped in and saw a boy,about five years old, lying in his dad's arms, Mom with a nurse on the other side. I knew by the feeling in the room that the situation was grave. I asked his name. He told me it was Billy and that I did a few simple magic tricks for him. As I stepped back to say goodbye, he asked me “Ronald, would you hold me?”
At such a simple request, my heart was screaming, “Yes!”But my mind was screaming louder. “No!You are going to lose your job!”
“Hold me” was such a simple request, and yet I searched for any reasonable excuses that allowed me to leave, but none. It took me a moment to realize that in this situation, losing my job may not be the disaster I feared. Then, I picked up this little boy. He was so weak and so scared. We laughed and cried for 45 minutes. With tears in my eyes, I left them. Less than 48 hours later, I received a phone call from Billy's mom that Billy had passed away. She and her husband simply wanted to thank me for making a difference in their little boy's life.
Billy's mom told me shortly after I left the room. Billy looked at her and said, “Momma, I don't care any more if I see Santa this year because I was held by Ronald McDonald.”
For the record, McDonald's Corporation did find it out, but, given the situation,permitted me to go on with my job. I continued as Ronald for another year before leaving the corporation to share the story of Billy and how important it is to take risks.
【小题1】The underlined word “grave” in Paragraph 3 means “________”.
A.weak | B.serious | C.interesting | D.exciting |
A.was unwilling to do so | B.was glad to do so |
C.hesitated to do so | D.hurried to do so |
A.To amuse others is enjoyable. | B.To take risks is important. |
C.To break rules is necessary. | D.To be fired is not fearful. |
A.the author left the corporation because he broke the rules |
B.the author left the corporation because he didn't like the rules |
C.the boy was quite happy with the experience with the author |
D.the boy was quite happy with Santa at Christmas |
“Write All About It”
Centerville High School Essay(论文)Contest
Rules
1. Students are asked to hand in essays of 500 to 700 words of their own work. Any essay containing material copied from another source will be disqualified.
2. Manuscripts should be typed double-spaced, with the student’s name, address, and grade level on a separate sheet of paper.
3. Essays must be turned in by 4:00 P.M. on November 30. They can be brought to Mrs. Elton in Room 104 or to Mr. Markham in the school library.
Essay-Writing Tips
1. Catch your reader’s interest—Your opening should immediately pull your reader into your essay. Asking a question or starting with a story, or surprising statement is some good ways to do this.
2. Create a picture—Use active words that show your reader what is happening. Instead of telling your reader that “the room was disordered,” paint a picture using active verbs and lively adjectives.
3. Have a purpose—Well-written essays do more than just describe an event or express a viewpoint; they also communicate a message.
4. Check for mistakes—Read your paper over to check for mistakes. Ask another student to read your paper. Another pair of eyes will often spot a mistake you have missed.
5. Format your essay—Neatly type your essay on white paper Choose an attractive cover for handing in. The computer lab will be open after school from 3:15 to 4:45P.M. each day this month so that students can use the computers.
Prizes
Winning essays will be published in the Centervile Times. Everyone who takes part in it will also receive a free pass to enter one school activity this year.
First Prize: $50 savings bond
Second Prize: Dictionary and reference book
Third Prize: Pen set and journal
【小题1】Which of the following rules is set for the essay contest?
A.Students can write something exactly as it is written in other books. |
B.Students’ personal information should be listed on another piece of paper. |
C.Essays must be brought to Mr. Markham in the computer lab on November 30. |
D.The students winning the second prize will be awarded a dictionary and a book. |
A.Drawing a picture to go with the essay. |
B.Trying to communicate an important idea to readers. |
C.Asking a teacher to find the mistakes you haven’t found. |
D.Making the essay short enough to hold the readers’ interest. |
A.convince the students of the prizes available |
B.explain how to write a good essay |
C.inform the students of the essay contest |
D.show how to organize an essay contest |