It was a village in India. The people were poor. However, they were not unhappy. After all, their forefathers had lived in the same way for centuries.

Then one day, some visitors from the city arrived. They told the villagers there were some people elsewhere who liked to eat frog’s legs. However, they did not have enough frogs of their own, and so they wanted to buy frogs from other places.

This seemed like money for nothing. There were millions of frogs in the fields around, and they were no use to the villagers. All they had to do was catch them. Agreement was reached, and the children were sent into the fields to catch frogs. Every week a truck arrived to collect the catch and hand over the money. For the first time, the people were able to dream of a better future. But the dream didn’t last long.

The change was hardly noticed at first, but it seemed as if the crops were not doing so well. More worrying was that the children fell ill more often, and, there seemed to be more insects around lately.

The villagers decided that they couldn’t just wait to see the crops failing and the children getting weak. They would have to use the money earned to buy pesticides(杀虫剂) and medicines. Soon there was no money left.

Then the people realized what was happening. It was the frog. They hadn’t been useless. They had been doing an important job—eating insects. Now with so many frogs killed, the insects were increasing more rapidly. They were damaging the crops and spreading diseases.

Now, the people are still poor. But in the evenings they sit in the village square and listen to sounds of insects and frogs. These sounds of the night now have a much deeper meaning.

1.From paragraph 1 we learn that the villagers __________.

A. worked very hard for centuries

B. were poor but somewhat content (满足的)

C. dreamed of having a better life

D. lived a different life from their forefathers

2.Why did the villagers agree to sell frogs ?

A. The frogs were easy money.

B. They needed money to buy medicine.

C. They wanted to please the visitors.

D. The frogs made too much noise.

3.What might be the cause of the children’s sickness?

A. The crops didn't do well.

B. There were too many insects.

C .The visitors brought in diseases.

D. The pesticides were overused.

4.What can we infer推断 from the last sentence of the text ?

A. Happiness comes from peaceful life in the country.

B. Health is more important than money.

C. The harmony(和谐) between man and nature is important.

D. Good old days will never be forgotten.

A man may usually be known by the books he reads as well as by the company he keeps; for there is a companionship of books as well as of men; and one should always live in the best company, whether it be of books or of men.

A good book may be among the best of friends. It is the same today that it always was, and it will never change. It is the most patient and cheerful of companions. It does not turn its back upon us in times of adversity or distress. It always receives us with the same kindness; amusing and instructing us in youth, and comforting and consoling us in age.

Men often discover their affinity(亲密) to each other by the mutual love they have for a book just as two persons sometimes discover a friend by the admiration which both entertain for a third. There is an old proverb, ‘Love me, love my dog.” But there is more wisdom in this:” Love me, love my book.” The book is a truer and higher bond of union. Men can think, feel, and sympathize with each other through their favorite author. They live in him together, and he in them.

A good book is often the best urn(瓮)of a life enshrining the best that life could think out; for the world of a man’s life is, for the most part, the world of his thoughts. Thus the best books are treasuries of good words, the golden thoughts, which, remembered and cherished, become our constant companions and comforters.

Books possess an essence of immortality. They are by far the most lasting products of human effort. Temples and statues decay, but books survive. Time is of no account with great thoughts, which are as fresh today as when they first passed through their author’s minds, ages ago. What was then said and thought still speaks to us as vividly as ever from the printed page. The only effect of time have been to sift(筛) out the bad products; for nothing in literature can long survive but what is really good.

Books introduce us into the best society; they bring us into the presence of the greatest minds that have ever lived. We hear what they said and did; we see them as if they were really alive; we sympathize with them, enjoy with them, grieve with them; their experience becomes ours, and we feel as if we were, in a measure, actors with them in the scenes which they describe.

The great and good do not die, even in this world. Embalmed(加以防腐处理) in books, their spirits walk abroad. The book is a living voice. It is an intellect to which one still listens.

1.What’s the meaning of the underlined word “immortality”?

A.difficult to find B.last for a long time

C.very important D.hard to destroy

2.How do we get close to the greatest minds through reading?

A.by talking to them about what we thought

B.by experiencing what they have gone through in life

C.by sharing their feeling and reading their minds

D.by acting with them on the stage

3.What is the best title of this text?

A.Companionship of books

B.Life without books

C.Unforgettable books

D.Sorting out books

4.This passage is mainly developed by __________.

A.analyzing causes

B.making comparisons

C.examining differences

D.following the order of importance

Because I will be away for a few days after Spring Break, I am writing this during the actual holiday, when I can use time to catch up on a number of purely administrative (管理的) items.

First of all, you should have received the letter I sent out on April 2 advising of the transition (过渡) arrangements to new leadership at ISM (International School of Moscow). In that letter I pointed out that Dr. Paul Malone will be arriving in Moscow on Monday, May 4th, and that I will work with him during that week to ensure smooth transition. My last day at ISM will be Friday, May 8th.

Several people have asked me why I required Dr. Malone to come early. There are many problems facing ISM at the moment which have major implications (影响) for the future, and it makes sense for the new director to come aboard before the end of the school year. This will give him the chance to play a major role in the planning process for 2014—2015 and beyond. The fact that Paul Malone is able to arrive in early May is good for the school. I have been working closely with him, and will do everything possible to see that he can move in easily when I leave. From here I will go to Hong Kong for a couple of weeks to spend time in my new situation, and then I will return to the United States for a few weeks’ vacation.

In the most recent edition of the Compass(a kind of paper of ISM), I wrote briefly what I consider to be the major challenge for ISM in the future. I am sure that the new leadership of the school will be able to face those challenges in an active manner, which will ensure a strong future for the school. I shall certainly watch the progress of the school with interest. The results of the school for the past few years have been quite outstanding, and I fully expect that level of performance to continue.

1. We can infer from the text that the writer was the ________ of ISM.

A. director B. employee

C. teacher D. student

2. Why should Dr. Malone come to ISM early?

A. To work closely with the author.

B. To do everything possible for the school.

C. To move in easily when the author returns.

D. To work with the author for a few days and make a future plan.

3. From the text, we learn that ________.

A. Paul Malone is a capable man

B. the writer is a best friend of Paul Malone’s

C. Paul Malone will work with the writer for several years

D. the writer will do his best to help Paul Malone to work well at ISM

违法和不良信息举报电话:027-86699610 举报邮箱:58377363@163.com

精英家教网