Misery and setbacks are not always as terrible as one imagines. Hard times can offer new ways of looking at life that would otherwise never be known. And, if you are a writer, this can be the source of much of your success.

     Popular British author, Charles Dickens' (1812-1870)family could hardly make ends meet. They could only afford to send one of their six children to school. Dickens was not that child. His parents chose to send a daughter, who had a talent for music, to an academy. Then at the age of 12, Dickens' life took another turn for the worse.

His father, a clerk, was placed in prison for unpaid debts. And, being the oldest male left at home, Dickens took up work at a factory. His horrible experience there became the fuel for his future writing. His father was freed three months later and inherited a small amount of money. Dickens was then sent to school.

From 1836 to 1837, he wrote a monthly series of stories. Thus the Pickwick Papers, came into being, which brought fame to the 23-year-old man.

Throughout his career, Dickens covers various situations in his novels. He wrote about the miserable lives of the poor in Oliver Twist, the French Revolution in Tale of Two Cities, and social reform in Hard Times. He also wrote David Copperfield, a book thought to be modeled on his own life.

“I do not write bitterly or angrily: for I know all these things have worked together to make me what I am,” he once said. His difficult childhood did indeed shape the person he became, as well as his writing career. There are shades of young Dickens in many of his most beloved characters, including David Copperfield and Oliver Twist.

Like the author, all these characters come from poor beginnings and are able to rise above their setbacks and achieve success. “Minds, like bodies, will often fall into an ill-conditioned state from too much comfort,” he once wrote. On June 9th, 1870, aged 58, Dickens died, leaving one unfinished work.The words on his tombstone read: “He was a sympathizer to the poor, the suffering and the oppressed, and by his death, one of England's greatest writers is lost to the world.”

1.The book that first called public attention to Dickens was ______.

       A.the Pickwick Papers               B.Oliver Twist

       C.Tale of Two Cities                D.David Copperfield

2.The phrase “shades of” in bold means “_____”.

       A.various shapes of            B.situations of

       C.different experiences of     D.reminders of

3.How did Dickens see his childhood?

       A.He felt grateful for it.

       B.He felt it a pity that things weren’t in his favor.

       C.He loved writing about it.

       D.He chose to forget the bitterness about it.

4.From the story, we can see Dickens’ attitude towards an easy life is ______.

       A.to enjoy it                    B.to hate it

       C.not to abandon yourself to it     D.to work hard for it

 

Some say everyday miracles (奇迹) are predestined (注定的)----the right time for the appointed meeting. And it can happen anywhere.

In 2001, 11-year-old Kevin Stephan was a bat boy for his younger brother's Little League team in Lancaster, New York. It was an early evening in late July. Kevin was standing on the grass away from the plate, where another youngster was warming up for the next game. Swinging his bat back and forth, giving it all the power an elementary school kid could give. The boy brought the bat back hard and hit Kevin in the chest. His heart stopped.

When Kevin fell to the ground, the mother of one of the players rushed out of the stands to his aid. Penny Brown hadn't planned to be there that day, but at the last minute, her shift (换班) at the hospital had been changed to see her son’s performance. She was given the night off. Penny bent over the senseless boy, his face already starting to turn blue, and giving CPR, breathing into his mouth and giving chest compressions. And he revived in the end.

After his recovery, he became a volunteer junior firefighter, learning some of the emergency first-aid techniques that had saved his life. He studied hard in school and was saving money for college by working as a dishwasher in a local restaurant in his spare time.

Kevin, now 18, was working in the kitchen when he heard people screaming, customers in confusion, employees rushing toward a table. He hurried into the main room and saw a woman there, her face turning blue, her hands at her throat. She was choking.

Quickly Kevin stepped behind her, wrapped his arms around her and clasped his hands. Then, using skills he'd first learned in Scouts. The food that was trapped in the woman's throat was freed. The color began to return to her face.

"The food was stuck. I couldn't breathe," she said. She thought she was dying. "I was very frightened."

Who was the woman?

Penny Brown.

1.The author wrote the passage to show us that __________.

A.miracles are predestined and they can happen anywhere

B.whoever helps you in trouble will get a reward one day

C.God will help those who give others a helping hand

D.miracles won’t come without any difficulty sometimes

2.Which of the following statements is True of Kevin Stephan?

A.He was hit on the face by a boy and almost lost his life

B.He was a volunteer junior firefighter, teaching the players first-aid skills

C.He worked part-time in a local restaurant to save money for college

D.He saved Penny Brown though he didn’t really know how to deal with food choke

3.The underlined word “revived” (paragraph3) most likely means __________.

A.came back to life

B.became worse

C.failed

D.moved

4.Why did Penny Brown change her shift and was given the night off that night?

A.She was invited to give the players directions

B.She volunteered to give medical services

C.She was a little worried about his son’s safety

D.She came to watch her son’s game and cheered him

 

Last night, when I was driving back home, I noticed a hitchhiker(搭便车的人) who was having no luck getting a ride. I rolled down my__ 21  and signed to the man to my car. I asked him where he was   22   and he told me he needed a    23   to his doctor’s office which would close in 15 minutes. I told him to   24   and he gratefully did so.

25   he got in he told me that he was a   26   and went out to sea for weeks at a time. He took medicine for his nerves and  27   to get another prescription(处方) before he left on the boat. He said that he had prayed (祈祷) 28   would stop for him so he could be there before the   29   office closed. With some 30   driving we managed to make it there in about 10   31 . I then asked him how he   32   on getting back home and he said he could walk. “I’ll patiently 33   for you and bring you back,” I told him. He 34   me and said he should only be about 15 minutes.

Afterwards he got back in my   35  and tried his hardest to pay me back: offering me dinner, gas money, even offering to ship me 40 lbs of scallops (海扇贝)! I  36  refused, gave him a smile card and asked him to help someone else the next time he had a  37 . I drove him back to where I had picked him up and  38   one more “thank you” he was on his way.

I feel that the world  39  offers us what we need. In the man’s  40   it was a ride, in mine the chance to help someone else.

1.

A.wheel

B.window

C.engine

D.door

 

2.

A.heading

B.working

C.living

D.studying

 

3.

A.walk

B.talk

C.trip

D.ride

 

4.

A.go out

B.run away

C.get in

D.lie down

 

5.

A.As far as

B.As soon as

C.Even if

D.Just before

 

6.

A.farmer

B.pianist

C.doctor

D.fisherman

 

7.

A.needed

B.stopped

C.agreed

D.preferred

 

8.

A.someone

B.nobody

C.anyone

D.everybody

 

9.

A.teacher’s

B.doctor’s

C.manager’s

D.captain’s

 

10.

A.good

B.normal

C.wrong

D.fast

 

11.

A.days

B.hours

C.minutes

D.weeks

 

12.

A.focused

B.depended

C.turned

D.planned

 

13.

A.look

B.call

C.wait

D.drive

 

14.

A.doubted

B.thanked

C.greeted

D.accepted

 

15.

A.car

B.home

C.office

D.shop

 

16.

A.politely

B.angrily

C.immediately

D.surprisingl

 

17.

A.dream

B.problem

C.chance

D.choice

 

18.

A.before

B.until

C.besides

D.after

 

19.

A.never

B.always

C.sometimes

D.seldom

 

20.

A.opinion

B.way

C.case

D.condition

 

Looking back on my childhood, I am convinced that naturalists are born and not made. Although we were all brought up in the same way, my brothers and sisters soon left their pressed flowers and insects. Unlike them, I had no ear for music and languages. I was not an early reader and I could not do mental arithmetic.

Before World War I we spent our summer holidays in Hungary. I have only the dim(模糊的) memory of the house we lived in, of my room and my toys. Nor do I recall clearly the large family of grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who gathered next door. But I do have a clear memory of the dogs, the farm animals, the local birds, and above all, the insects.

I am a naturalist, not a scientist. I have a strong love of the natural world and my enthusiasm had led me into varied investigations(调查研究). I love discussing my favorite topics and enjoy burning the midnight oil reading about other people’s observations and discoveries. Then something happens that brings these observations together in my conscious(清醒的) mind. Suddenly you fancy you see the answer to the riddle, because it all seems to fit together. This has resulted in my publishing 300 papers and books, which some might honor with the title of scientific research.

But curiosity, keen(敏锐的) eyes, a good memory and enjoyment of the animal and plant world do not make a scientist: one of the excellent and essential qualities required is self-discipline, a quality I lack. A scientist, up to a certain point, can be made. A naturalist is born. If you can combine the two, you get the best of both worlds.

1.The first paragraph tells us the author ______.

A.was interested in flowers and insects in his childhood

B.lost his hearing when he was a child

C.didn’t like his brothers and sisters

D.was born into a naturalist’s family

2.The author can’t remember his relatives clearly because _______.

A.he didn’t live very long with them

B.the family was extremely large

C.he was too young when he lived with them

D.he was fully occupied with observing nature

3.It can be inferred from the passage that the author was _______.

A.a scientist as well as a naturalist

B.a naturalist but not a scientist

C.no more than a born naturalist

D.first of all a scientist

4. The author says that he is a naturalist rather than a scientist probably because he thinks he _______.

A.has a great deal of trouble doing mental arithmetic

B.lacks some of the qualities required of a scientist

C.just reads about other people’s observations and discoveries

D.comes up with solutions in a most natural way

 

As we all know,it was Thomas Jefferson who wrote the Declaration of Independence (独立宣言).He wrote it in two weeks,and after a few changes,it was accepted by the Congress.As a result,he became famous in America's history.

Born in Virginia,Thomas Jefferson,a brilliant student at school and almost talented lawyer later,was much interested in politics.

Jefferson was elected Governor of Virginia in 1779,and he was sent to France as the Representative of the American Government in 1784.Sixteen years later,at the age of 57,he was elected president after Washington and Adams.

Far from a handsome man,he was is tall with long arms and big hands.Jefferson,who was an amusing talker in conversation,but a poor speaker,was generally good-natured.

Jefferson was regarded as a defender(捍卫者)of freedom Of America.As a president,he protected the right of speech.Interestingly enough,in his eight years as president,:Jefferson never said “No” to a bill(议案)which the Congress had passed.He did a lot in organizing the new University of Virginia.

Thomas Jefferson died on July the fourth,1826,the fiftieth anniversary of America’s independence.  

1.

We are most likely to read this passage in            .

    A.a daily newspaper      B.a popular advertisement

    C.a hi story book         D.an important notice

2.

Which of the following statements about Jefferson’s personality is true?

    A.He was a shy and slow learner when he was at school.

    B.He was not an easy person to get along with at all

    C.He was not only very talented but also very handsome.

    D.He was an amusing talker,but not good at speaking in public.

3.

Jefferson’s greatest contribution in America’history is that              .

    A.he was for the right of free speech

    B.he was sent to France as the Representative

    C.  he wrote the Declaration of Independence

    D.he organized the new University of Virginia

4.

Thomas Jefferson was elected president of the United States in the year of          .

    A. 1779      B.1784      C.1800   D.1826

 

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