It was a warm April day when a big fat envelope came in the mail from the only college I had ever imagined attending. I tore open the packet. My eyes were fixed on the word “congratulations. ”I don’t remember ever smiling so wide.

    Then I looked at my financial(财政的)package.

    The cost of Dream School’s tuition(学费), room and board was around $ 40,000- an impossible sum! How could I afford to attend? What good reasons did I have to go there when three other fine colleges were offering me free tuition? My other choices were good, solid schools even if they weren’t as famous as my first choice.

    In my mind, attending my dream university would be the only way to realize my dream of becoming a world-class writer. My parents understood how I felt. They told me that even though it would be a financial problem, I could go wherever I would be happiest. But as I was always careful with money, I wasn’t sure what to do.

    One of the schools that offered me a full ride had an informational dinner one night in the spring. Considering my parents’ financial difficulties, I decided to drive the 45 minutes and attend. At first, all I had planned to do was smile politely, eat free food, listen quietly. But I surprised myself.

    At dinner the president of the university talked about the wonderful activities on campus (校园)including guest lectures and social gatherings. He also made it perfectly clear that free food would be offered at all future events. He continued with explanations of professors, class sizes, activities, and sporting events on campus. As he spoke, I began to realize that this school, though not as good as my first choice, might be the best one for me. It seemed small yet with many great programs. It seemed challenging yet caring.

    As the president ended his speech, we clapped politely and pushed back our chairs. As I walked out that door, a feeling of comfort washed over me. Looking at the campus that night, I realized that I would be spending the next four years right there.

In all honesty, my university is not as well-known as my “dream”university. However, it turned out to be the right choice of schools for me.

 

59. How did the author feel when he started to read the letter?

      A. He was full of joy.

     B. He was lost in his dream.

     C. He was worried about the money.

     D. He was uncertain which school to go to.

60. We can learn from the passage that the parents were _________.

      A. honest                    B. strict                   C. supportive              D. decisive

61. In Paragraph 5, “offered me a full ride”can be replaced by “_______”.

      A. would pay for transport to the school

      B. would show me around the campus

      C. would offer free meals at all events

      D. would charge me nothing for tuition

62. What does the author mainly want to say?

      A. Your second-choice college may actually by your best fit.

      B. You should consider comfort in your choice of schools.

     C. You should try your best to attend your dream school.

     D. Your choice of schools should be based on their fame.

 

An old woman had two large pots (罐), one on each end of a pole (扁担). She carried the pole with the pots across her neck.

   One of the pots had a crack (裂缝) in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered (递送) a full pot of water. At the end of the long walk from the well to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half-full.

   For two years this happened daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water. Of course, the perfect pot was proud. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection.

   One day, the cracked pot spoke to the woman by the well: “I am ashamed of myself because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house.”

   The old woman smiled: “Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side? That’s because I have always known about your crack, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path. And every day while we walk back, you water them.”

   “For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate (装饰) the table. Without you being just the way you are, I would not have this beauty.”

   Each of us has our own cracks. But it’s these cracks that make our lives together so interesting and meaningful.

1.How did the cracked pot feel about itself at first?

A. Proud.    B. Happy.      C. Excited.     D. Ashamed.

2.Where were the flowers growing?

A. On both sides of the path.

B. In the woman’s house.

C. On the perfect pot’s side.

D. On the cracked pot’s side.

3.Which is the correct order of the following events?

① The woman picked the flowers and decorated the table.

② The woman told the truth to the cracked pot.

③ The cracked pot talked to the woman about its crack.

④ The woman found a crack on one pot.

⑤ The woman planted some flower seeds.

A. ④⑤①③②                      B. ⑤④③②①

C. ④③①②⑤                                   D. ④⑤③①②

4.What does the passage mainly want to tell us?

A. Never laugh at old women.           

B. Imperfection makes life meaningful. 

C. Try your best to be perfect in life.

D. Don’t use a cracked pot to carry water. 

 

Dear NMAI(National Museum of the American Indian) Supporter,

Old stereotypes(思维定式) die hard. And when it comes to the way Native Americans have been viewed throughout history and continue to be viewed today, the stories about life in Indian Country are sadly overshadowing the truths. Most Native Americans don't live in tipis(圆锥形帐篷), and we don't greet one another by saying,  “How.”

To combat misconceptions like these, I need help from people who understand there's more to Native American cultures than the offensive cartoons that you see in movies and television.

I think that you might be one of these people.

Please join NMAI today and enjoy exclusive benefits like our full-color quarterly magazine American Indian, and Members-only discounts at all Smithsonian, NMAI Museum Stores, and at our Zagat-rated Mitsitam Native Foods Café.

Plus, through this email, you can take advantage of our special price of $22-more than 10% off our regular membership charge.

With your support, the National Museum of the American Indian can tell the story both past and present of Native life and culture in North, Central, and South America.

In just one visit to either of our Museums in Washington, DC, or New York City, you can watch a performance by traditional Native dancers... attend a lecture by a leading voice from the world of Native literature... spend an afternoon taking an informative audio tour of the Museum's distinctive grounds... and try your hand at Native crafts like pottery and beadwork. And for those who are unable to visit the museums in person, much of our extensive collection of more than 800,000 objects is cateloged on our website.

Only with your generosity can we share the Native story, awaken children to an interest in Native culture, and bring the Museum experience to people who can't travel to our Museums in person.

By joining the Museum today, you will take the first step in putting an end to the old stereotypes and long-held prejudices that have contributed to an incomplete picture of Native traditions and accomplishments.

Sincerely,

Kevin Gover

Director

1.What is the author's intention in writing this letter?

A. To call for more people to join in volunteer work.

B. To carry out researches on Native Americans.

C. To invite more people to be members of the museum.

D. To raise more donations for the museum.

2.Which of the following statements describes the life and culture of Native Americans correctly?

A. They are good at pottery and beadwork.

B. Most of them live in tipis.

C. They greet others by saying, “How.”

D. They like designing offensive cartoons.

3.If you join NMAI, you can enjoy the following benefits except ________.

A. free full-color quarterly magazine American Indian

B. Members-only discounts at all Smithsonian

C. Members-only discounts for buying in NMAI Museum Stores

D. a free meal at Zagat-rated Mitsitam Native Foods Café

4.Regular membership fee  of the NMAI is about ________.

A. $30  B. $20  C. $15  D. $25

 

 A man once said how useless it was to put advertisements in the newspapers. "Last week," said he, "my umbrella was stolen from a London church. As it was a present, 1 spent twice its worth in advertising, but didn't get it back."

"How did you write your advertisement?" asked one of the listeners, a merchant.

"Here it is," said the man, taking out of his pocket a slip cut from a newspaper. The other man took it and read, "Lost from the City Church last Sunday evening a black silk umbrella. The gentleman who finds it will receive ten shillings on leaving it at No l0 Broad Street."

"Now," said the merchant, "I often advertise, and find that it pays me well. But the way in which an advertisement is expressed is of extreme importance. Let us try your umbrella again, and if it fails, I will buy you a new one."

The merchant then took a slip of paper out of his pocket and wrote: "If the man who was seen to take an umbrella from the City Church last Sunday evening doesn't wish to get into trouble, he will return the umbrella to No. 10 Broad Street. He is well-known."

This appeared in the paper, and on the following morning, the man was astonished when he opened the front door. In the doorway lay at least twelve umbrellas of all sizes and colors that had been thrown in and his own was among them. Many of them had notes fastened to them saying that they had been taken by mistake, and begging the loser not to say anything about the matter.

1. This is a story about_______.

A.how a man lost and found his umbrella

B.how to make an effective advertisement

C.how to find lost things

D.how to put an advertisement in the newspaper

2. "If it fails, I will buy you a new one "suggested that______.

A.he was rich enough to afford an umbrella

B.he was quite sure of his success

C.he was not sure he would get the umbrella back

D.he was ready to help others

3.The result of the first advertisement was that______.

A.the man got his umbrella back

B.the man wasted some money advertising

C.the man found his umbrella

D.someone found his umbrella

4.According to the first advertisement, anyone who_____ would receive ten shillings.

A.left the umbrella in the City Church

B.found the umbrella at No. I 0 Broad Street

C.gave the message to the man

D.left the umbrella at No. 10 Broad Street

 

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