After I mastered my first (协奏曲) at age 14, my parents decided to get me a nice violin. I tried out dozens of instruments before I found my match: a German violin. It was beautiful, but what I liked best about it was its voice. Confident and strong, it was everything I longed to be.

I'm not sure how much that violin cost, but my parents made me promise never to let it out of my sight. They didn't understand that dragging a large violin case ran counter to my daily middle school task of being invisible (看不见的). I was a strange, absent-minded kid. When I spoke up in class, my comments brought confused silence from teachers and wild laughter from students. Like a deer in a wolf pack, I tried to be quiet and still.

In contrast, my new violin was almost shockingly loud. Together, we could drown out the rest of my middle school orchestra(管弦乐队) — which was encouraged, since the other kids made sounds like cats’ crying. For one glorious hour every day, I was showered with attention. Everyone wanted to hear what I had to say.

Between classes, I bent under the combined weight of my violin case and a backpack filled with books. My posture suffered, but my confidence grew. With my violin by my side, I found my voice. More and more, I contributed to class discussions and even made a couple of friends.

Today, I'm just an amateur violinist with a regular day job. As I sit in my community orchestra, sometimes I feel jealous(嫉妒的) my fellow musicians’ instruments with their elegant voices. I may not be the best violinist around, but at least I'm still the loudest.

1.The underlined part “ran counter to” in Paragraph 2 probably means__________.

A. was similar to

B. went along with

C. was the opposite of

D. had something in common with

2.We know from Paragraph 2 that the author___________.

A. did not fit in at school

B. was an excellent student

C. was strong and confident

D. did not attend classes regularly

3.What kind of feeling is expressed in Paragraph 3?

A. Disappointment. B. Anger.

C. Pride. D. Regret.

4.What can we infer from the text?

A. The violin changed the author in some way.

B. The author hated the loud voice of his violin.

C. The violin always made the author embarrassed.

D. The author was the best violinist in his community orchestra.

Good manners play an important part in keeping peace and goodwill (友好) in a community. A man with good manners doesn’t hurt other’s feelings, and therefore he’s on good terms with everyone .In this way he helped to keep peace in society.

But a man with bad manners has no respect for others He uses words carelessly and behaves rudely towards others and causes a lot of unpleasantness. In the end, he himself will suffer most. Everyone will avoid him and he will be forced to live a lonely life.

To live well in society, money alone is not enough. We should also have good manners, for it’s human nature to seek friendship; and friendship cannot be bought with money. Friendship has to be earned through our own attitude towards others. If we are kind to others, they will be kind to us, and kindness is essential to good manners .Bad manners drive away friends as well as our own family members.

A man with god manners has many friends. He commands the respect of all those who come into contact with him. He doesn’t talk ill about others. Even when he’s provoked, he tries his best not to offend others. He has sympathy for the weak and the disabled.

There are, however, many people who behave so well outside their homes that they are respected and admired by everyone. But in their own homes they are worse than the devil. Such people cannot be said to have good manners. It doesn’t take long for others to discover this.

If one’s manners are good, one behaves well everywhere, even when one is away from the critical eyes of others. It is therefore essential to have good manners.

1.The greatest benefit that people with good manners bring to society is .

A. peace B. joy

C. respect D. friendship

2.The underlined word “provoked” in Paragraph 4 can be replaced by “ ”.

A. got tired B. proved friendly

C. made angry D. left alone

3.People with good manners do the following EXCEPT that .

A. they behave well even when they are alone or away from the public eyes.

B. they try their best not to talk ill about others only in public.

C. they are kind towards others and bring a lot of joy to them.

D. they respect the weak and are sympathetic towards the disabled.

4.We can infer from the text that for people only behaving well outside their homes, .

A. they will still be respected by people outside.

B. it is difficult to say whether they have good manners or not.

C. they can keep friends but will drive away family members.

D. they only pretend to be friendly

Four Wild Animal Species Were Endangered

Maybe you can still see them at the zoo. But that doesn’t mean they’re doing alright in the wild.

Tigers

All six tiger species are endangered, with Sumatran tigers and South Chin tigers at a seriously endangered status. The main reasons for their population decline are illegal hunting and destroyed habitats(栖息地), as humans clear forests to gather timber(木材)and build roadways. Only about 3890 tigers presently live in the wild.

Ground squirrels

That’s right, even squirrels are endangered, specifically the San Joaquin ground squirrel. Native to California, USA, these guys have been disappearing since 1979 on account of the construction and human developments going through their habitat. Their total population is unknown , but it could be anywhere between 124000 and 413000.

Giraffes

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature recently put giraffes at a vulnerable status, the level just before endangered. The giraffe population has declined 40 percent in the last 30 years, primarily due to loss of habitat and illegal hunting. Some giraffes are killed just for their tails, which are considered status symbols in Africa.

Asian elephants

The main threat to Asian elephants, one of the most intelligent animals, is their shrinking habitat. As the human population grows, people invade their land to build roads and railway tracks. Elephants in Myanmar are at an especially high risk for being captured and traded or used illegally in the tourist industry. Fewer than 50000 are left on the entire continent.

1.What is the total population of tigers living in the wild?

A. Around 3890.

B. 50000.

C. 124000.

D. 413000.

2.Which of the following is considered one of the most intelligent animals?

A. Tigers.

B. Giraffes.

C. Ground squirrels.

D. Asian elephants.

3.What is the common threat to the four wild animals?

A. Illegal hunting.

B. Disturbed habitat.

C. Developing tourism.

D. Unnecessary construction.

4.Which word can best describe the present situation for protecting wild animals?

A. Satisfactory.

B. Optimistic.

C. Urgent.

D. Stable.

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