Nicolai Calabria has already become one of the best 106-pound wrestlers. He has successfully climbed to the top of the highest mountain in Africa, and most importantly, he's changed the attitude of any normal person who watches him compete.

The 17-year-old teenager has one leg. He was born that way, but his goal is to show it's not the one thing that defines him. He would also be the first one to tell you that he just wants to prove to others and himself that he's just like other normal ones.

When Calabria was young, his parents tried different prostheses(假肢)to find out which was most comfortable for their son as he tried to keep up with a family, who has a preference for sports.

At first, the Calabrias had their middle child in a prosthesis that looked and functioned like a “real” leg, but soon they decided to choose a different path when they found it wasn't beneficial to his movement. Then the family moved him to arm crutches(手杖) and from there a new burst of energy was found.

Getting others to believe that he could take off on the soccer field took a little bit longer. When the Calabrias moved to Concord, they had a hard time convincing the town soccer program to allow a child like him to compete with able-bodied kids. After months and months of debates and meetings, the family received the answer they were looking for. Since then, witnessing a young man on crutches who competes against those with two legs has become a fixed event in the Concord community.

“At that time I had nothing but discouragement working with the soccer community, however, now I have nothing but admiration for the fact that he's been allowed to play, and people see that he adds value to game,” his father said, “I just think it's a great result.”

1.This passage shows us a boy with one leg ________.

A. can do what a normal teenager can

B. is realizing as many dreams as he can

C. can make a sport event more valuable

D. can add value to society

2.We can learn from Paragraph 5 that ________.

A. Calabria proved to be the most excellent player of the team

B. it was not easy for Calabria to be accepted to the town's soccer team

C. Calabria's parents didn't allow him to play soccer at first

D. there are some other disabled children in the soccer team

3.In Paragraph 5, the underlined part “a fixed event” probably means “________”.

A. a must-see

B. a planned program

C. an extra game

D. a special occasion

4.It is implied in the last paragraph that Nicolai's father ________.

A. has been discouraged since Nicolai played soccer

B. thinks that Nicolai is playing a key role in the team

C. is very delighted that Nicolai can play soccer in the team

D. hasn't expected that Nicolai can be allowed to play soccer

Each year the Pritzker Architecture Prize (普立兹克建筑奖) goes to a star designer with a long list of attractive buildings around the world. This year’s winner is a little different.

Shigeru Ban has designed museums, homes and concert halls. But Ban is best known for a more simple kind of work: the temporary (暂时的) buildings for people who became homeless after disasters.

Ban may be the only designer in the world who makes buildings out of paper — cardboard paper tubes (管). Ban actually tested the strength of cardboard tubes, and said he was surprised by what he had discovered. He has used them to build temporary buildings in Japan, Haiti, China and elsewhere.

“After a disaster, the building material is going to be more expensive,” Ban explains. “But the paper tube is actually not a building material. It is cheap and plentiful. We can get the material easily anywhere. And unlike costs for traditional building materials, the price of paper tubes doesn’t jump after an earthquake or flood. The tubes are also lightweight, so you don’t need heavy machines to work with them.”

Ban started using cardboard paper tubes in the 1980s. At that time he had just graduated from the architecture school, and he was looking for a cheap substitute for wood. So he started reusing the paper cardboard tubes that were left over from rolls of paper in his office.

Ban was born in Tokyo and studied architecture in the U.S. before moving back to Japan to start his practice. Some of Ban’s temporary buildings have become permanent (永久的), like the paper church he built after the 1995 earthquake in Kobe, Japan.

1.The author uses the first paragraph to    .

A. raise an argument B. give an introduction

C. give an example D. offer a description

2.What is special about Shigeru Ban?

A. He failed to get this year’s architecture prize.

B. He graduated from the best architecture school in the U.S.

C. He is good at building houses for homeless people.

D. He builds special houses for special groups of people.

3.Why did Shigeru Ban choose cardboard paper tubes?

A. Because they are cheap and easy to take away.

B. Because they are strong and last for a long time.

C. Because they are plentiful and look very beautiful.

D. Because they are common and hard to break.

4.What does the underlined word “substitute” probably refer to?

A. A new way of building houses by using wood.

B. A new method of producing cardboard paper tubes.

C. A new kind of building material to take the place of wood.

D. A new machine to produce a new kind of building material.

Feet help us walk, run, dance, and jump. The words feet and foot are also used in everyday speech.

To be under someone’s feet means to be troublesome. In other words, you are standing too close to someone and are getting in their way. Some adults criticize (批评) children for being under foot.

Speaking of children, if someone says their home will soon have the pitter-patter of tiny feet, it means the family is expecting a baby!

Now, people who are active do not let grass grow under their feet. They are never in one place for very long. People who can think and take action at the same time are said to be able to think on their feet.

Some people appear to have it all. They have money, a good education, good looks, a great family and a large circle of friends. You could say they have the world at their feet. This means whatever they want seems to be there for them.

People who have both feet firmly on the ground are realistic and practical. They are not dreamy. You might say such a person is well grounded. If you are a bad dancer, you might be described as having two left feet. To dance well, it is better to have a right foot and a left foot.

Sam loves skiing. He thinks that it would be fun to own a ski resort (滑雪场) high in the mountains. But he knows nothing about running a business. So, he decides to get his feet wet. In other words, he wants to get used to a new situation.

He joins an organization for resort owners and attends their meetings. He travels to ski areas all over the United States. This helps Sam get his foot in the door. Having a foot in the door is a starting point. This expression comes from people selling things door-to-door. They would block the door with their foot so people couldn’t close the door on them.

1.What would you say to someone who is “under your feet”?

A. Oh, I’m terribly sorry.

B. Take off your feet!

C. Sorry for the trouble.

D. Excuse me, you are in the way.

2.Which of the following describes people who keep moving about?

A. They are always under foot.

B. They can think on their feet.

C. They have the pitter-patter of tiny feet.

D. They never let grass grow under their feet.

3.What should you try to avoid if you want to succeed in doing something?

A. Having two left feet.

B. Getting your feet wet.

C. Getting your foot in the door.

D. Having both feet firmly on the ground.

4.What do we know about Sam’s new business?

A. It’s a big success. B. It’s not started yet.

C. It lies high in the mountains. D. It opens only in winter.

5.What may be the best title for the passage?

A. Use your feet properly. B. Feet help us walk and run.

C. How to be a good dancer. D. Ready for a new business.

Chopsticks

1. When chopsticks were invented?

In fact, before the invention of chopsticks, Chinese ancestors actually used hands to eat, but how did they eat soup and porridge? 1. Chinese started to use chopsticks about 3,000 years ago in Shang Dynasty.

2. Who invented chopsticks?

The records of using chopsticks have been found in many written books but lack physical evidence. However many stories are about the invention of chopsticks. One says that Jiang Ziya, an ancient wise man, created chopsticks. 2. But there is no exact history record about the invention. We can only say that smart ancient Chinese invented chopsticks.

3. How to use Chinese chopsticks?

Using two slim sticks to pick up food is actually not difficult. You can do it if you practice it for some time, even if you are a foreigner. The key to managing chopsticks is keeping one chopstick in position while moving the other to pick up food. 3.

4. Chopsticks Manners.

Chopsticks are usually held in the right hand, and left-handed chopstick use is considered as improper in China. Playing with chopsticks is thought to be impolite. 4.

5. The philosophy of Chinese chopsticks.

Chinese philosopher Confucius advised people to use chopsticks instead of knives because the metal knives remind people of cold weapons, which mean killing and violence.

6. A chopsticks-themed museum can be found in Shanghai.

If you are truly interested in chopsticks, you can pay a visit to the Shanghai Chopsticks Museum. The museum gathered more than 1,200 pairs of chopsticks from China, Korea, Japan and Thailand. 5.

A. Chopsticks were introduced to many other neighbor countries due to its lightness and convenience.

B. It is considered to be polite and thoughtful to pick up food for the elderly and children.

C. Bamboo chopsticks are most frequently used in Chinese daily life.

D. The oldest one was from the Tang Dynasty.

E. There also go around some other stories.

F. Remember to practice with patience.

G. They had to use sticks to eat them.

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