Elizabeth Mitchell’s new “Liberty’s Torch” is the fascinating story of how the Statue of Liberty came to be. The Statue of Liberty’s rough history is explored in “Liberty’s Torch”.

Frederic Auguste Bartholdi is an all-but-forgotten figure in American history. He was, however, responsible for one of the most enduring symbols of the United States: the Statue of Liberty. A Frenchman from Alsace, he designed and built the Statue of Liberty which stood on Bedloe’s Island in New York Harbor. How this statue came to be is the fascinating subject of Elizabeth Michell’s new book “Liberty’s Torch”.

The power of Mitchell’s narrative is convincing(令人信服的). We recognize the Statue of Liberty now as a symbol of hope and opportunity for a nation of immigrants. At the time, though, people could not see that-nor did they even imagine that. Instead, the construction of the statue was born of one man’s desire to set up a great monument.

For this reason, perhaps, “Liberty’s Torch” relies on Bartholdi as the connecting thread. Bartholdi went to Egypt to make photographic copies of the main monuments. On the boat, Bartholdi met and began a lifelong relationship with Ferdinand de Lesseps, the man who would build the Suez Canal. Maybe it was this friendship, or maybe it was seeing Egypt’s huge monuments, but finally the trip inspired Bartholdi’s dream to create the largest statue ever built. Failure to bring this to completion in Egypt, followed by his exile (流放) from Paris, led Bartholdi to sail to America.

By explaining the Statue of Liberty’s hard history and showing Bartholdi’s brave spirit, Mitchell has done a great service.

1. It can be inferred from the text that ________.

A. American people have never forgotten Frederic August Bartholdi

B. the Statue of Liberty wasn’t originally regarded as a symbol of hope

C. Bartholdi finished the Suez Canal

D. Bartholdi was a famous architect from Egypt.

2.What was the main reason for Bartholdi to build the Statue of Liberty?

A. To finish his education in the arts.

B. To mark his friendship with Ferdinand.

C. To create something better than Egyptian monuments.

D. To achieve his dream to create the largest statue.

3.What type of writing is the passage?

A. A travel guide. B. A book review

C. An announcement D. An architecture report.

A certain good woman one day said something that hurt her best friend of many years. She regretted it immediately and would have done anything to have taken the words back. So she went to an older, wiser woman in the village and advice.

Listening to her, the older woman the younger woman’s distress and knew she must help her. She also knew she could ease her pain, but she could teach.

Then, she said. “There are things you need to do. The first is extremely difficult. Tonight, Take your best pillows and open a small hole in each one. Then, the sun rises, you must put a single feather on the doorstep of each house in town. When you are through, to me. If you’ve done the first thing , I’ll tell you the second.”

The young woman hurried home to prepare for her chore, the pillows were very to her and very expensive.

All night long, she went from doorstep to doorstep. Her fingers were . The wind was so sharp that it caused her eyes to water, but she ran on through the streets, that there was something she could do to put things the way they once were. Finally she placed the last feather on the steps of the last house. Just as the sun rose, she returned to the older woman.

She was exhausted but ,thinking that her efforts would be rewarded.

“Now,” said the wise woman, “Go back and your pillows. Then everything will be as it was before.”

The young woman was stunned, “You know that’s impossible! The wind each feather as fast as I placed them on the doorsteps! You didn’t say I had to get them back! If this is the second , then things will never be the same.”

“That’s true,” said the older woman. “Never forget. Each of your words is like a feather in the wind. Once , no amount of effort, how heartfelt or sincere, can ever return them to your mouth. Choose your words well and guard them most of all in the presence of those you love.”

1.A. asked about B. asked for C. asked to D. ask around

2.A. witnessed B. touched C. guessed D. sensed

3.A. ever B. almost C. never D. seldom

4.A. one B. two C. three D. four

5.A. feather B. leather C. woolen D. cotton

6.A. when B. after C. as D. before

7.A. come back B. go back C. put back D. draw back

8.A. promptly B. absolutely C. completely D. unfortunately

9.A. so as to B. even though C. now that D. in spite of

10.A. hard B. rare C. nice D. dear

11.A. freezing B. freezingly C. froze D. frozen

12.A. brightened B. widened C. darkened D. broadened

13.A. amazing B. lucky C. thankful D. surprising

14.A. on B. up C. off D. back

15.A. tired B. relieved C. grateful D. nervous

16.A. refill B. get C. purchase D. seek

17.A. blew up B. blew on C. blew away D. blew over

18.A. requirement B. situation C. consequence D. circumstance

19.A. speak B. spoken C. speaking D. being spoken

20.A. however B. whatever C. although D. regardless

Since around the later part of the 1950s, society started to realize that tobacco cigarettes caused health problems. As research progressed along with increasing numbers of people that developed lung cancer, emphysema, and other smoking related illnesses, cigarette smoking has become less accepted and popular. Unfortunately, the nicotine contained in cigarettes is one of the most addictive substances on the planet and makes quitting smoking one of the hardest things to do. In 2003, Chinese pharmacist, Hon Lik invented the electronic cigarette as a safer, and cleaner way to breathe in nicotine after his father, a heavy smoker, passed away from lung cancer attributed to smoking tobacco cigarettes.

Hon Lik applied for his first patent on the electronic cigarette in 2003 and afterwards introduced e-cigs to the Chinese market in the following year through his employer, Golden Dragon Holdings. Golden Dragon Holdings later changed the company’s name to “Ruyan” in order to better match the company’s name(Ruyan means “almost like smoke”)to the new product. Since the renaming, the Ruyan company has continued e-cigarette development and grown to be one of the largest global e-cig manufactures.

Dr.Sam Han, CEO of Cixi E-CIG Technology, Inc, Ltd. also has a number of e-cig related inventions, including four patents in the United States and two in China that are electronic cigarette and e-liquid technology related. Similar to Hon Lik’s father. Dr. Han was a heavy smoker for more than 40 years before beginning to work on electronic cigarette technologies in order to help himself and others make the shift to vapor smoking. Dr.Han continues to market and conduct R&D in e-cig related techonologies to this date.

After the successful deployment of Ruyan and Cixi E-CIG electronic cigarettes in China and Asia, the products started to be sold in significant quantities on the Internet.

1.How many years is it since the electronic cigarette was first invented according to the passage?

A. About 5 years. B. About 11 years.

C. About15 years. D.About 20 years.

2.What’s the direct reason why Hon Lik invented the electronic cigarette according to the passage ?

A.Tobacco cigarettes caused health problems.

B.Tobacco cigarettes were too expensive for customers to buy.

C.Quitting smoking became one of the hardest things to do.

D.His father died from lung cancer due to smoking tobacco cigarettes.

3.Since when have Chinese smokers have been able to buy Hon Lik’s electronic cigarettes according to the passage?

A.2000. B.2003. C.2004. D.2005.

4.What’s the correct order of the following events according to the passage?

① Hon Lik applied for his first patent on the electronic cigarette.

② Hon Lik’s father died from lung cancer because of smoking tobacco cigarettes.

③ Hon Lik’s electronic cigarettes were introduced to the Chinese market.

④ The name of the company Golden Dragon Holdings was changed to “Ruyan”.

A. ①③②④ B.①④②③ C.②④①③ D.②①③④

C

People are being lured(引诱) onto Facebook with the promise of a fun, free service, and don’t realize that they’re paying for it by giving up loads of personal information. Facebook then attempts to make money by selling their data to advertisers that want to send targeted messages.

Most Facebook users don’t realize this is happening. Even if they know what the company is up to, they still have no idea what they’re paying for Facebook, because people don’t really know what their personal details are worth.

The biggest problem, however, is that the company keeps changing the rules. Early on, you could keep everything private. That was the great thing about Facebook—you could create your own little private network. Last year, the company changed its privacy rules so that many things—your city, your photo, your friends’ names—were set, by default(默认), to be shared with everyone on the Internet.

According to Facebook’s vice president Elliot Schrage, the company is simply making changes to improve its service, and if people don’t share information, they have a “less satisfying experience.”

Some critics think this is more about Facebook looking to make more money. Its original business model, which involved selling ads and putting them at the side of the page, totally failed. Who wants to look at ads when they’re online connecting with their friends?

The privacy issue has already landed Facebook in hot water in Washington. In April, Senator Charles Schumer called on Facebook to change its privacy policy. He also urged the Commission to set guidelines for social-networking sites. “I think the senators rightly communicated that we had not been clear about what the new products were and how people could choose to use them or not to use them,” Schrage admits.

I suspect that whatever Facebook has done so far to invade(侵犯)our privacy, it’s only the beginning,which is why I’m considering deactivating(撤销) my account. Facebook is a handy site, but I’m upset by the idea that my information is in the hands of people I don’t trust. That is too high a price to pay.

1.What do we learn about Facebook from the first paragraph?

A. It is a website that sends messages to targeted users.

B. It makes money by putting on advertisements.

C. It earns money by selling its user’s personal data

D. It provides a lot of information to its users

2.What does the author say about most Facebook users?

A. They don’t know their personal data enriches Facebook

B. They are unwilling to give up their personal information

C. They don’t identify themselves when using website

D. They care very little about their personal information

3.Why does Facebook make changes to its rules according to Elliot Schrage?

A. To help its users make more friends

B. To obey the Federal guidelines

C. To make money by attracting more users

D. To offer better service to its users

4.What does Senator Charles Schumer argue for?

A. Setting guidelines for advertising on websites

B. Setting rules for social-networking sites

C. Stopping sharing user’s personal information

D. Removing ads from all social-networking sites

5.Why does the author plan to stop using his Facebook account?

A. He is dissatisfied with its service.

B. He finds many of its users untrustworthy.

C. He doesn’t want his personal data abused.

D. He is upset by its frequent rule changes.

Peter loved to shop used articles. Almost a month ago, he bought popular word game that used little pieces of wood with different letters on them. As he was purchasing it, the salesgirl said, “Uh, look, the game box hasn’t even been opened yet. That might be worth some money. ”

Peter examined the box, and, sure enough, it was completely covered in factory-sealed plastic. And he saw a date of 1973 on the back of the box.

“You should put that up for auction (拍卖) on the Internet, and see what happens.” the salesgirl said.

“Yes, you’re right. People like something rare.” Peter agreed, “I can’t imagine there being very many unopened boxes of this game still around 40 years later.”

“Don’t forget to tell me if you sell it.” the salesgirl smiled.

“No problem.” Peter said.

After he got home, Peter went online to several auction websites looking for his game. But he couldn’t find it. Then he typed in the name of the word game and hit Search. The search result was 543 websites containing information about the changes of the game. Over the years, the game had been produced using letters in different sizes and game boards in different colors. He also found some lists of game fans looking for various versions of the game. Peter emailed some of them, telling them what he had.

Two weeks later, Peter went back to the shop.

“Hello. Do you still remember the unopened word game?”

The salesgirl looked at him for a second, then recognized him and said, “Oh, hi!”

”I’ve got something for you,” Peter said. “I sold the game and made $1,000. Thank you for your suggestion.” He handed her three $ 100 bills.

“Wow!” the salesgirl cried out. “Thank you, I never expected it.”

1.Which of the following best describes Peter’s word game?

A. It was made around 40 years ago.

B. It had game boards in different sizes.

C. It was kept in a plastic bag with a seal.

D. It had little pieces of wood in different colors.

2.What did the salesgirl probably think of Peter’s word game?

A. Old and handy. B. Rare and valuable.

C. Classic and attractive. D. Colorful and interesting

3.What happened at the end of the story?

A. Peter gave the girl $300 as a reward.

B. The salesgirl became Peter’s friend.

C. Peter returned the word game for $ 1,000.

D. The salesgirl felt confused to see Peter again.

4.What is the main theme of the story?

A. It’s important to keep a promise.

B. It’s great to share in other people’s happiness.

C. We should be grateful for the help from others.

D. Something rare is worth a large amount of money.

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