题目内容
阅读下面短文,并按照题目要求用英语回答问题.
Almost everybody in America will spend a part of his or her life behind a shopping cart（购物手推车）. They will, in a lifetime, push the chrome-plated contraptions many miles. But few will know—or even think to ask—who it was that invented them.
Sylvan N. Goldman invented the shopping cart in 1937. At that time he was in the supermarket business. Every day he would see shoppers lugging（吃力地携带） groceries around in baskets they had to carry.
One day Goldman suddenly had the idea of putting baskets on wheels. The wheeled baskets would make shopping much easier for his customers, and would help to attract more business.
On June 4, 1937, Goldman’s first carts were ready for use in his market. He was terribly excited on the morning of that day as customers began arriving. He couldn’t wait to see them using his invention.
But Goldman was disappointed. Most shoppers gave the carts a long look, but hardly anybody would give them a try.
After a while, Goldman decided to ask customers why they weren’t using his carts. “Don’t you think this arm is strong enough to carry a shopping basket?” one shopper replied.
But Goldman wasn’t beaten yet. He knew his carts would be a great success if only he could persuade people to give them a try. To this end, Goldman hired a group of people to push carts around his market and pretend they were shopping! Seeing this, the real customers gradually began copying the phony（假冒的） customers.
As Goldman had hoped, the carts were soon attracting larger and larger numbers of customers to his market. But not only did more people come—those who came bought more. With larger, easier-to-handle baskets, customers unconsciously bought a greater number of items than before.
Today’s shopping carts are five times larger than Goldman’s original model. Perhaps that’s one reason Americans today spend more than five times as much money on food each year as they did before 1937—before the coming of the shopping cart.
The underlined words “chrome-plate contraptions” in Paragraph 1 refer to ______.
（No more than 3 words）
What was the purpose of Goldman’s invention? （No more than 10 words）
Why was Goldman disappointed at first? （No more than 10 words）
Why did Goldman hire people to push carts around his market? （No more than 10 words）
What do you think of Goldman? Please give your reasons. （No more than 20 words）
In this age of Internet chat, videogames and reality television, there is no shortage of mindless activities to keep a child occupied. Yet, despite the competition, my 8-year-old daughter Rebecca wants to spend her free time writing short stories. She wants to enter one of her stories into a writing contest, a competition she won last year.
As a writer I know about winning contests, and about losing them. I know what it is like to work hard on a story only to receive a rejection slip (退稿条) from the publisher. I also know the pressures of trying to live up to a reputation created by previous victories. What if she doesn’t win the contest again? That’s the strange thing about being a parent. So many of our own past scars and ruined hopes can surface.
A revelation (启示) came last week when I asked her, “Don’t you want to win again?”
“No”, she replied, “I just want to tell the story of an angel going to first grade.”
I had just spent weeks correcting her stories as she spontaneously (自发地) told them. Telling myself that I was merely an experienced writer guiding the young writer across the hall, I offered suggestions for characters, conflicts and endings for her tales. The story about a fearful angel starting first grade was quickly “guided” by me into the tale of a little girl with a wild imagination taking her first music lesson. I had turned her contest into my contest without even realizing it.
Staying back and giving kids space to grow is not as easy as it looks. Because I know very little about farm animals who use tools or angels who go to first grade, I had to accept the fact that I was co-opting (借用) my daughter’s experience.
While stepping back was difficult for me, it was certainly a good first step that I will quickly follow with more steps, putting myself far enough away to give her room but close enough to help if asked. All the while I will be reminding myself that children need room to experiment, grow and find their own voices.
What do we learn form the first paragraph?
A. Now too many entertainments take up too much time.
B. Children do find lots of fun in many mindless activities.
C. Rebecca is much too occupied to enjoy her free time.
D. Rebecca draws on a lot of online materials for her writing.
What did the author say about her own writing experience?
A. She was constantly under pressure of writing more.
B. Most of her stories had been rejected by publishers.
C. She did not quite live up to her reputation as a writer.
D. Her way to success was full of pains and frustrations.
Why did Rebecca want to enter this year’s writing contest?
A. She had won a prize in the previous contest.
B. She wanted to share her stories with readers.
C. She was sure of winning with her mother’s help.
D. She believed she possessed real talent for writing.
What’s the author’s advice for parents?
A. Children should be given every chance to voice their opinions.
B. Parents should keep an eye on the activities their kids engage in.
C. Children should be allowed freedom to grow through experience.
D. A writing career, though attractive, is not for every child to pursue.
When you put down your pens at the end of the college entrance exam, 12 hard years of study will have come to an end. Forget your studies for a while. It's time to enjoy yourselves!
There are many ways to celebrate this special month of graduation. You can have photos taken with your classmates and teachers, or dine out together and exchange gifts.
High school students in Western countries such as the United States and Canada usually have a prom to mark their graduation. It's to mark the time kids turn into young men and women. After the prom, teenagers either go to college or find a job. It means they are no longer as dependent on their parents as they were before.
At the prom, boys usually dress in dinner jackets and bow ties, though many different types of formal clothes are worn. Traditionally, girls give boys matching boutonnieres (a small collection of flowers they pin to their jackets). Girls traditionally wear formal dresses, or dress to shock or be noticed, in shiny or brightly colored materials.
Common prom activities include dining, dancing, the crowning (加冠) of a prom king and queen, and just talking to friends. In some cases, high school students collect funds for their class prom through the four years of their high school.
High schools in or near large cities may rent ballrooms at expensive hotels or, to be unusual, on a pleasure cruise boat.
But often costs are cut by simply using the school gym. Students make a lot of effort to decorate the gym to make the event special. The music played at the prom will be the most popular kinds, like rock and hip-hop.
The students elect the Prom Queen. She is partnered with a Prom King who is elected similarly. These are great honors that the pair takes very seriously. The two dance with each other to celebrate their election.
Sometimes teachers and parents also go to the prom. But others like to go with friends, to whom they are soon going to be saying goodbye.
If you like the idea of a prom, why don't you and your classmates organize one for your graduation?
What does the word “prom” probably mean in the passage?
A．a dancing competition. B. a party held to celebrate graduation.
C．a fashion show. D. an election.
Which of the following is an economical way to hold the prom?
A．renting a ballroom B．taking a cruise boat
C．holding it in the school gym D．wearing formal dresses
Which of the following clearly indicates that prom is very important to students?
A．They take pictures at the prom. B．They wear formal clothes or special clothes.
C．Music is played at the prom. D．Teachers and parents attend it.
Why do some students attend the prom with their friends?
A．They want to be elected by their friends us the Prom King or Queen.
B．They don’t like to be accompanied by their parents.
C．They don’t want to depend on their parents.
D．They will part with their friends in a short time.
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
One winter morning, an old couple around the age of 70, walked into a lawyer’s office to sign
a 36 after quarreling all their 45 years of marriage. The lawyer was very 37 , after having a chat with them, he got their 38 . They hung on because of their children, afraid that it might 39 their growth. Now, all they wanted was to lead their own life free from all these years of __40 from their marriage, so both agreed on a divorce.
The lawyer was having a hard time getting the papers done, but he still couldn’t understand why the old couple would want a divorce, suggesting a 41 together, just three of them. At the table, there was a silence of 42 . The first dish was roasted chicken. 43 , the old man took the drumstick for the old lady, “Take this, it’s your favorite. ” Looking at this, the lawyer thought maybe there was still a 44 , but the wife answered frowning. “This is where the problem 45 . You always think so highly of yourself, never thought about how I feel, don’t you know that I hate 46 ?”
Little did she know that, over the years, her husband was trying all ways to 47 her; little did she know that drumsticks were her husband’s favorite. Little did he know that she never thought he understood her at all; little did he know that she hated drumsticks even though all he wanted was the best for her.
That night, both of them were difficult to fall asleep. After hours, the old man couldn’t 48_ it any more, wanting to tell her himself, “I love you and I can’t live without you.” He picked up the phone to dial her number. Ringing never stopped. On the other side, she was upset, 49 to answer any phones. The next day, she received news that he had 50 , learning that he had a heart attack when he was still trying to get through her phone line.
51 enough, she had to clear his 52 in his apartment , only to find an insurance policy（保险单）dating from the day when they got married, and the beneficiary （受益人）was her. Together in that file there was this note: “To my dearest wife, I bought this policy for you, 53__ the amount is only $100, I hope it will be able to help me continue my promise that I made when we got married, and I want you to know I will always be around by your side. I love you.” Tears __54 freely down her cheeks when the lady read it.
When you love someone, do let them know, for you 55 know what will happen the next minute.
1.A. marriage B. divorce C. record D. project
2.A. puzzled B. excited C. painful D. embarrassed
3.A. family B. money C. story D. lesson
4.A. destroy B. effect C. hit D. affect
5.A. happiness B. pleasure C. unhappiness D. amusement
6.A. dinner B. supper C. lunch D. breakfast
7.A. sorrow B. ignorance C. awkwardness D. satisfaction
8.A. As soon as B. Once C. The moment D. Immediately
9.A. right B. opportunity C. need D. chance
10.A. stores B. buries C. lies D. stands
11.A. fish B. steak C. drumsticks D. duck
12.A. comfort B. please C. anger D. hate
13.A. stand B. treat C. forget D. regret
14.A. eager B. hungry C. anxious D. reluctant
15.A. passed away B. passed through C. passed by D. passed on
16.A. Sadly B. Disappointedly C. Fortunately D. Hopefully
17.A. clothes B. belongings C. cupboards D. drawers
18.A. unless B. if C. though D. even
19.A. floated B. flew C. followed D. flowed
20.A. never B. ever C. forever D. seldom
It’s time he _________ piano. Don’t you think he has wasted too much time online?
A. stopped to take up B. stops taking up
C. stopped to leave alone D. stops leaving alone
