题目内容
No matter where he lives, 16-year-old Danny Lopez feels like an outsider: he is half-Mexican and half-white.
At his private high school in wealthy northern San Diego, California, US, Lopez is too brown to fit in, whereas for the Mexican side of his family in National City, just a dozen miles from the border, he is too white to belong.
Different from both sides, Lopez is silent in school. He focuses on his passion for baseball and working hard to improve the pitches (球场) that have kept him off the school team.
Mexican Whiteboy, by Matt de la Pena, is about a teenager’s search for identity. It was named as one of the Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults in 2009 by the US Young Adult Library Services Association.
When Lopez’s mother decides to go to live with her wealthy white boyfriend in San Francisco, he chooses to spend the summer with his father’s family in San Diego. It’s a trip to explore roots and self-identity, filled with unexpected friendship.
There he meets Uno, of mixed heritage (遗传) like himself, also with a divorced mom. Uno understands Danny’s split background and helps him improve his baseball skills. Both boys have big league dreams, but they both have to learn to come to terms with their mixed heritages before they can achieve their goals.
Aside from discussions of racism, Mexican Whiteboy takes on other issues, such as the importance of family and the negative influence of hiding the truth. It also shows how sports can draw cultures together.
The reason why Lopez feels like an outsider lies in the fact that ___________.
A. he is a Mexican B. he lives in San Diego
C. he is half-white and half-Mexican D. he studies in a private school
Most probably “Mexican Whiteboy” is a ____________.
A. book B. club C. newspaper D. organization
When Lopez found it is hard for him to fit in, he ____________.
A. starts writing a book about himself
B. begins to look for identity with the help of Mexican Whiteboy
C. loses his interest in baseball
D. works in the fields in which he was kept off the school team
Lopez and Uno have a lot in common except that ____________.
A. they both have a divorced mom
B. they both have mixed heritage
C. they were both in the school baseball team
D. both of them have big league dreams
【小题1】C
【小题2】A
【小题3】D
【小题4】C
解析:
略
As you grow rapidly through your teenage years, you will experience a lot lf changes．The changes may seem difficult and they may seem to happen quickly. Don’t panic! You will deal successfully with them! You are a young adult now!
With more responsibility, you will find more freedom to make your own choices. This is a time to be well informed about own choices. This is a time to be well informed about your choices so that you can make healthy balanced decisions that will help shape your future. You may already know your career path or you may have no idea at all what you want to do. Both situations are fine! Work hard and the right opportunity will present itself to you.
Young adulthood means greater freedom and more choices. You will probably want to be independent. But try not to shut your family out of your life. You should learn to think of others even though you are old enough to look after yourself. Your family have been with you since you came into this world.
It is also perfectly natural in this time for you to spend more time with your friends than your family. Choose your friends wisely. A true friend will stand by you no matter what happens.
This period is a part of the life cycle. There are some people who will be with you throughout life’s journey and there will be some people with whom you part and go separate ways. Leaving school can be hard. The reality is that you may not ever see all of your classmates again.
You are a young adult. It is your life. No one can live it for you. The choices that you make from now on will be your choices. So making the right choices will be important to you. Life is for living. Enjoy your life wisely!
【小题1】The best title for this passage would be ．
| A．The Choices in Life | B．The Key to Success |
| C．Say Goodbye to the Past | D．Becoming a Young Adult |
| A．your parents | B．your classmates | C．true friends | D．your relatives |
| A．a period of complete freedom |
| B．too hard for young people to get through |
| C．an important time for the young to make the right choices |
| D．a very important period for young students to leave their parents |
| A．Teenagers． | B．Teachers． | C．Young parents． | D．Adults． |
The old shopkeeper led me through to the back of the shop．The room was filled with boxes and
Surprises often come in boxes. Birthday presents wrapped in colorful paper, brown paper packages mailed from a friend. No matter what kind of box it is, people like to open it up and see what's inside. In America, and in many other countries, one special kind of box contains the future. It's called a ballot box. What people put into the box on election day can change the course of history.
Elections are the lifeblood of a democracy. The word democracy literally means "the people rule," an important concept in American history. In the mid-1700s, England began passing laws that made the American colonies angry. The colonists had to pay more and more taxes and enjoyed less and less freedom. They felt the government of England didn't represent their interests. On July 4, 1776, the colonies declared their independence from England. They wanted to establish a democracy where people could have a voice in government.
An effective democracy holds regular elections. In America, elections are held every two years for members of Congress. In these elections, all seats in the House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate seats are up for grabs. In addition, every four years, voters go to the polls to elect the nation's president and vice-president. Voters also regularly cast their ballots for state and city government leaders and local school board members. Sometimes they also have to vote on a proposed law.
In the American electoral system, people don't really vote for presidential candidates. Instead, voters cast their ballots for "electors" who support each candidate. Each state has as many electors as the total number of its representatives in Congress. This equals two senators per state plus the number of its representatives in the House (which is based on the state's population). The candidate who has the most votes in a state wins all of the state's electors. To win the presidential election, a candidate must gain at least 270 of the 538 total electoral votes.
Over the years, the U.S. has made a number of election reforms. Some early reforms outlawed cheating, giving bribes and threatening voters. They also limited the amount of money candidates could receive from donors and spend on their campaigns. In 1870, black people gained the right to vote, and in 1920, that right was extended to women. In recent decades, laws against unfair rules for voting have been passed. No longer do people have to pay a special tax or pass a test in order to vote. In 1971, the voting age was lowered to 18. Other reforms made voting easier for the blind, the disabled and people who couldn't read. In some areas, ballots had to be printed in languages besides English.
In November, Americans will again elect those who will represent them in government. Although some citizens aren't even registered to vote--and some registered voters don't bother to go to the polls--most Americans exercise their right to vote. They realize that their future is wrapped up in a special package--the ballot box. It's a package that must definitely be "handled with care."
【小题1】According to the context, what does a “ballot box” mean in Chinese?
| A．彩票箱 | B．投票箱 | C．礼品箱 | D．保险箱 |
| A．People couldn’t have a voice in a government. |
| B．In America, elections are held every four years for members of Congress. |
| C．Democracy is the lifeblood of elections. |
| D．Basically “ the people rule”, and it’s very important in American history. |
| A．Romney will win 20 votes in California. |
| B．Obama will win 20 votes in California. |
| C．Romney will win 37 votes in California. |
| D．Obama will win 37 votes in California. |
| A．People have to pay a special tax to vote. |
| B．There are bribes and threatening in elections now. |
| C．People above eighteen years old can vote now. |
| D．The disabled or the blind have tough access to voting. |
| A．Birthday boxes in the U.S. | B．Election systems in the U.S. |
| C．Election reforms in the U.S. | D．Democracy in the U.S. |
One morning more than thirty years ago, I entered the Track Kitchen, a restaurant where everyone from the humblest(卑微的) to the most powerful came for breakfast. I noticed an empty chair next to an elderly, unshaven man, who looked somewhat disheveled. He was wearing a worn-out hat and was alone. I asked if I might join him. He agreed quietly and I sat down to have my breakfast.
We cautiously began a conversation and spoke about a wide rang of things. We never introduced ourselves. I was concerned that he might have no money and not be able to afford something to eat. So as I rose to go back to the counter and buy a second cup of coffee, I asked,
“My I get you something?”
“A coffee would be nice.”
Then I bought him a cup of coffee, we talked more, and he accepted another cup of coffee. Finally, I rose to leave, wished him well, and headed for the exit. At the door I met one of my friends. He asked,
“How did you get to know Mr. Galbreath?”
“Who?”
“The man you were sitting with. He is chairman of the Board of Churchill Downs.”
I could hardly believe it. I was buying, offering a free breakfast, and feeling pity for one of the world’s richest and most powerful men!
My few minutes with Mr. Galbreath changed my life. Now I try to treat everyone with respect, no matter who I think they are, and no matter another human being with kindness and sincerity.
【小题1】What does the underlined word “disheveled” mean?
| A．Unfriendly. | B．Kind. | C．Elegant. | D．Untidy. |
| A．he wanted to start a conversation |
| B．he thought the old man was poor |
| C．he intended to show his politeness |
| D．he would like to thank the old man |
| A．Surprised. | B．Pitiful. | C．Proud. | D．Regretful. |
| A．We should learn to be generous. |
| B．It is honorable to help those in need. |
| C．We should avoid judging people by their appearances. |
| D．People in high positions are not like what we expect. |