Sub-Saharan Africa has the world’s highest hunger rate. But according to a new report, African farmers also have ideas that could help the world fight hunger and poverty. Danielle Nierenberg from the Worldwatch Institute in Washington spent a year visiting twenty-five countries south of the Sahara. In Nairobi, Kenya, for example, Ms Nierenberg found women farmers growing vegetables just outside their doorsteps in the Kibera settlement. She says they are finding ways to make their lives better. The women feed their families and sell their surplus. They use the money to send their children to school.
Last year, about 925,000,000 people worldwide did not get enough to eat. Half of all people in the world now live in and around cities. Researchers like Ms Nierenberg are looking increasingly at creative ideas to feed those who don’t have enough good food to eat. She says there are a lot of lessons that people in the Western world can learn from Africa. And what they are doing can certainly be done in other developing countries.
Farmers in the developing world lose between twenty and forty percent of their harvest before it ever reaches market. There are many reasons why food gets wasted. Farmers are without electricity and cold storage. They lack good seeds and fertilizer. They lack good roads. Conditions like these keep small farmers in poverty. Ms Nierenberg says more attention needs to be paid to protecting harvests. She says, “Given all that we invest in producing food in the first place, we need to devote the same amount of attention to making sure that it is not wasted.”
In Nigeria, village processing centers are helping farmers reduce their losses and earn more money. They centers process cassava, a root vegetable, into basic food products. In Uganda, the Worldwatch report says some schools are teaching children how to grow local kinds of crops. And in South Africa and Kenya the report praises the breeding(培育) of local kinds of livestock. These animals may produce less milk or meat than other breeds, but they can survive heat and drought conditions

  1. 1.

    We could learn from the new report in Para.1 that         

    1. A.
      sub-Saharan Africa has the world’s highest hunger rate
    2. B.
      African farmers have ideas to help fighting hunger and poverty
    3. C.
      women farmers grow vegetables in the Kibera settlement
    4. D.
      women farmers grow vegetables to send their children to school
  2. 2.

    The underlined word “surplus” in Para.1 is closest in meaning to         

    1. A.
      private vegetables
    2. B.
      side products
    3. C.
      leftover vegetables
    4. D.
      home-made products
  3. 3.

    Ms Nierenberg suggests that         

    1. A.
      the women spend more money on education instead of farming
    2. B.
      more and more African people should live in and around cities
    3. C.
      researchers find creative ideas to feed the people suffering hunger
    4. D.
      people in the Western world do the same as the Africans have done
  4. 4.

    Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

    1. A.
      Farmers in developing world often lose some of their harvest
    2. B.
      Small farmers in developing countries often suffer poverty
    3. C.
      Farmers should pay more attention to protecting their harvest
    4. D.
      Attention should be paid to saving food instead of producing food
  5. 5.

    The best title of this passage should be         

    1. A.
      A New Report About African Farmers Fighting Hunger
    2. B.
      Creative Ideas to Feed Those Who Have No Enough Food
    3. C.
      Looking to Africa for Ideas About How to Fight Hunger
    4. D.
      Animals That Can Survive Heat and Drought Conditions

“Can I see my baby？” the happy new mother asked. When the bundle was in her arms and she moved the fold of cloth to look upon his tiny face, she gasped. The doctor turned quickly and looked out of the tall hospital window. The baby had been born without ears.
Time proved that the baby’ s hearing was perfect. It was only his appearance that was imperfect. When he rushed home from school one day and threw himself into his mother’s arms, she sighed(叹息), knowing that his life was to be unfortunate. He cried to his mum “A boy, a big boy... called me a freak (怪人)．”
He grew up, handsome. A favorite with his fellow students, he might have been class president, but for that. He developed a gift, a talent for literature and music. “But you might communicate with other young people，” his mother blamed him, but felt a kindness in her heart.
Two years went by. One day, his father said to the son, “You’ re going to the hospital, son. Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need. But it’ s a secret.” The operation was a great success, and a new person appeared.
Later he married and became a lawyer. One day, he asked his father, “Who gave me the ears? Who gave me so much? I could never do enough for him or her.” “I do not believe you could，” said the father, “but the agreement was that you are not to know... not yet.”
The years kept their secret, but the day did come. He stood with his father over his mother’ s casket棺材. Slowly, tenderly, the father stretched forth a hand and raised the thick, reddish brown hair to show the mother had no outer ears.
“Mother said she was glad she never let her hair be cut，” his father whispered gently, “and nobody ever thought Mother less beautiful, did they？”

  1. 1.

    Why did Mother gasp when she saw her newborn baby?

    1. A.
      Because her son had a tiny face
    2. B.
      Because she saw her son crying
    3. C.
      Because her son was born imperfect
    4. D.
      Because her son was in her arms
  2. 2.

    Which word can describe Mother’ s feeling when the son threw himself into her arms?

    1. A.
      Nervous
    2. B.
      Sympathetic
    3. C.
      Proud
    4. D.
      Angry
  3. 3.

    We can infer that the person who donate the ears is_____

    1. A.
      A doctor
    2. B.
      His father
    3. C.
      His mother
    4. D.
      A stranger
  4. 4.

    From the passage we know the followings are True except________

    1. A.
      the mother felt sorry for the son without ears
    2. B.
      the doctor didn’t like the baby
    3. C.
      the boy meant everything to the mother
    4. D.
      the father kept the secret until mother died
  5. 5.

    The best title for the passage would be ________

    1. A.
      Mother’s hair
    2. B.
      An unforgettable memory
    3. C.
      Who gave me the ears?
    4. D.
      Who is my best respectable person?

Speak, speak, speak!
Practise speaking as often as you can. Speaking to yourself is good practice.
Try recording yourself whenever you can.
Compare your pronunciation with the master version（原版）to see how you can do better and have another go. If you do this several times, you will find that each time is better than last.
Why not learn with someone else?
It helps if you can learn with someone else. If you can persuade a friend or family member to study with you, it will make you keep working.
Don't get stuck by a word you don't know.
Practise improving ways of getting your meaning across when speaking spontaneously（本能地），even if you don't know the exact words or phrases. Think of things you might want to say whenever you have spare time. Use facial expressions, hand movements, anything to make yourself understood.
Language learning is also about intuition（直觉）．
Guesswork is an important way to learn a new language. When listening to recorded material, you aren't expected to understand everything first time round. If you play the same piece several times, you will most probably understand something new each time.
Build up your vocabulary.
A wide vocabulary is the key to successful language learning but don’t try to learn too much at once. It’s best to study frequently, for short periods of time. Take at most six or seven items of vocabulary and learn them. Put them into sentences to fix them in your mind, and then come back to them later.
And above all, have fun!

  1. 1.

    What’s the purpose of this passage?

    1. A.
      To tell us the importance of practicing speaking as often as we can
    2. B.
      To tell us a few tips to help us learn a new language well
    3. C.
      To tell us that guesswork is an important way to learn a new language
    4. D.
      To tell us that a wide vocabulary is the key to successful language learning
  2. 2.

    What’s the meaning of the underlined phrase in the first part?

    1. A.
      Have another try or attempt
    2. B.
      Move away from a place to another
    3. C.
      Enter a certain state or condition
    4. D.
      Follow or take a certain course
  3. 3.

    To learn English well, we shouldn’t _______ according to the passage

    1. A.
      practice speaking as often as possible
    2. B.
      study frequently, for short periods of time to build up our vocabulary
    3. C.
      try to understand everything and stop when we meet a new word
    4. D.
      try to persuade a friend or family member to study with us
  4. 4.

    According to the passage, to learn a new language well, the most important thing is ______

    1. A.
      speaking as much as possible
    2. B.
      having fun
    3. C.
      a wide vocabulary
    4. D.
      guesswork

Ellen Parker was worried about her health. She could not walk very quickly and it was difficult for her to climb stairs. She was soon out of breath.
“I suppose I had better go to the doctor.” she thought.
She went to the doctor and told him her problem.
“I’m not at all surprised.” he said, “I know what your problem is.”
He examined her and then gave her some advice.
“If you don’t do what I say, Mrs Parker,” he said, “You will have a heart attack (心脏病发作). It could kill you.”
Ellen was very worried as she left the doctor’s. She knew that she had to take his advice but that it would not be easy and it would take time.
The next day she went shopping. The first shop she went into was a butcher shop (肉铺).
“I’d like ten pounds of steak (牛排), please.” she said.
“Certainly, madam.” the butcher replied and went into the cold room and found a large piece of steak. He brought the huge piece of meat back into the shop and placed it on the scale (称).
“That’s just ten pounds.” he said.
“That’s big enough.” Mrs Parker said.
The butcher worked out the price.
“At S｜4.99 a pound that will be S｜49.90, please. Would you like me to cut it up into smaller pieces for you?”
“Oh, I don’t want to buy the meat.” Mrs Parker said.
“If you don’t want to buy it,” the butcher replied angrily, “Why did you ask me to get it for you?”
“My doctor told me that I am too heavy and have to lose ten pounds. I wanted to see what ten pounds of meat looked like.”

  1. 1.

    Why did Ellen Parker visit the doctor?

    1. A.
      She had a heart attack
    2. B.
      She had a problem with her health
    3. C.
      She was unhappy about her weight
    4. D.
      She could not sleep well
  2. 2.

    Why did Ellen Parker ask for ten pounds of steak?

    1. A.
      She wanted to buy some for dinner
    2. B.
      She wanted to lose weight
    3. C.
      Her doctor had told her to eat steak
    4. D.
      She wanted to see what ten pounds of meat looked like
  3. 3.

    What was Ellen Parker’s real problem?

    1. A.
      She ate too much steak
    2. B.
      She weighed too much
    3. C.
      She was often out of breath
    4. D.
      She could not walk very quickly

Five-time world overall short-track speed skating champion Yang Yang(A)won China’s first-ever Winter Olympic gold medal with a runaway victory in the 500m final on Saturday.
Yang Yang, putting behind her a dismal fourth place finish in the 1,500 meters three days ago, got off to a sparking lead and never looked back to cross the line in 44.187 seconds.
World-record holder and four-time European champion Evgenia Radanova followed home 0.065 seconds behind.
Another Chinese, Wang Chunju, the world champion in the shortest distance came in third, two-hundredths of a second further behind.
Yang, 25, whose name is tagged with the letter A to distinguish her from her younger teammate and namesake, Yang Yang(S), is the overall World Cup winner this season, with the top points in the 1,000m and 1,500m.
In the 1,500m, the younger Yang, 24, who won two silver medals in Nagano four years ago, crashed out while chasing herd after two South Korean teenagers, KoGi-Hyun and Choi Eun-Kyungm who eventually finished first and second. Yang Yang(A) ended up fourth.
Yang Yang(S) did not compete in the 500 meters

  1. 1.

    How long did Evgenia Radanova take to finish the 500m final?

    1. A.
      44.252 seconds
    2. B.
      44.187 seconds
    3. C.
      44.122 seconds
    4. D.
      None of the above
  2. 2.

    Why did not Yang Yang(S) compete in the 500 meters?

    1. A.
      She did want to
    2. B.
      She was wounded
    3. C.
      She was not qualified
    4. D.
      It was not mentioned

Researchers questioned nearly 9,800 people over the age of 50 about their lives and found women were happier than men and enjoy life more in old age.
Dr Elizabeth Breeze, one of the researchers, said that women could become happier as they get older as they no longer have to worry about looking after their families.
She said:“There is a difference between the way men and women view their quality of life and they are influenced by slightly different things. Women are affected negatively by caring for someone else or if they are not in employment but if they see their children and family more they are positively affected.”
“A strange thing happens to male actors, especially movie stars, in my experience,” said Helen Mirren, a 62-year-old Hollywood actress.“A young male actor feels that all the girls want him-he’s a star. As actors get older they bad-tempered for they have lost that sense of being in control of their destiny(命运).”
Wealth also helps you live longer with the poorest people more than twice as likely to die earlier than the richest, researchers at University College London discovered. In some age groups. the difference was even greater. The poorest women between 60 and 74 are six times more likely to have died than the richest women of the same age.
According to the study, you have more chances of living longer if you are married, educated to certain degree or a professional. single people are twice as likely to die early as those  who are married or living with a partner

  1. 1.

    What may be the best title of the passage ?

    1. A.
      Why Women Are Happier Than Men in Old Age
    2. B.
      How to Live Longer
    3. C.
      Women Happier Than Men in Old Age
    4. D.
      The Difference between Women and Men in Old Age
  2. 2.

    What can we know from the passage？

    1. A.
      Men should not worry about looking after their family any more in old age
    2. B.
      Male actors, especially movie stars are easy to get bad—tempered when they get older and older
    3. C.
      The poorest women about the age of 50 can’t live longer than the richest women at the same age
    4. D.
      Education has nothing to do with happy life in people’s old age
  3. 3.

    What may be talked about if there is another paragraph as the ending ?

    1. A.
      Things that the old should do to be happier
    2. B.
      The disadvantage of being actors
    3. C.
      We should earn money as much as we can
    4. D.
      How to become a professional

An American educational expert, Frederick M. Hess, says that a long summer vacation doesn’t make sense in today’s world.
This summer, 50 million kids will spend much time talking online, watching TV, playing video games and asking older brothers or sisters to take them to the supermarket. They will also be putting their academic futures at risk.
During much of the 20th century, many Americans worked in factories that did not need a college degree but still offered a high salary. Also, in the 19th century, there was no air condition. And poor hygiene (卫生) meant that crowded schools had health risks.
Things have changed. For today’s students, academic skills are key to future success. Many countries don’t give kids an American-style summer vacation. They offer no more than seven consecutive (连续的) weeks of vacation. Most American school districts offer up to 13 weeks. To compete in global marketplace, Americans must be prepared to go up against international competitors.
Summer vacation also causes challenges for today’s families. In the 1960s, more than 60% of families had a stay-at-home mum. Now, two-thirds of American children live families where every adult works. For these families, summer vacation can be more burden than break. Someone must watch the kids.
But the biggest problem may be how summer vacation hurts academic achievement. Scientist have found that disadvantaged students lose important ground in the summertime.
A school year can allow time-limited teachers to conduct richer and more imaginative lessons. Schools would have more time for sports, languages, music and the arts

  1. 1.

    Before the 20th century, a long summer vacation might ______

    1. A.
      reduce income for Americans
    2. B.
      reduce health risks for students
    3. C.
      cause career failure for Americans
    4. D.
      cause loss in global market for America
  2. 2.

    How long does an American-style summer vacation last？

    1. A.
      No more than two months
    2. B.
      Less than three months
    3. C.
      As long as three months
    4. D.
      As long as four months
  3. 3.

    According to the text, who will benefit from a long school year?

    1. A.
      American students, teachers and parents
    2. B.
      American students, parents and shop owners
    3. C.
      American students, parents and international competitors
    4. D.
      American students, teachers and international competitors
  4. 4.

    How many reasons did the writer give to support his/her opinion?

    1. A.
      One
    2. B.
      Two
    3. C.
      Three
    4. D.
      Four

“Drink your milk. It’s good for you!” You’ve probably heard that many times, and it’s true. Milk contains calcium, which is a necessary nutrient for keeping bones and teeth healthy and strong. The U.S. government even requires milk as part of the National School Lunch Program, saying that students should drink one cup of fat-free or low-fat milk at each meal.
Last Thursday, however, a group of doctors asked the government to remove milk from the lunch program. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) says, “Milk is high in sugar, high in fat and high in animal protein, all of which have negative effects on health.” “One of the only reasons people talk about dairy, or promote it, is that it is going to help build strong bones.” says Dr. Neal Barnard, president of the PCRM. There are better and healthier ways to get calcium such as eating beans, broccoli, cereals and tofu. Orange juice and soymilk that have calcium added to them also supply the nutrient.
Of course, calcium is important for healthy bones and teeth, but your genes, how much vitamin D you take in and getting an hour’s worth of exercise every day all play a part.
Some nutritionists disagree with the idea that milk isn’t important. Keri Gans, a dietitian, says, “I think it’s irresponsible to take away this beverage that children enjoy, especially among those who are unable to meet their nutrient needs for the day, and remove it from the lunch line.”
The U.S. government is studying the request of the PCRM, but a decision may be a long way off. Meanwhile, Marion Nestle, a professor at New York University, puts it best: “Milk has nutrients. Other foods have the same nutrients. It’s just a food. Like other foods, too much might be a problem.”

  1. 1.

    What is mainly talked about in the first paragraph?

    1. A.
      The concern about students’ health
    2. B.
      Traditional attitudes towards milk
    3. C.
      Ways to keep bones and teeth healthy
    4. D.
      The practice of the U.S. government
  2. 2.

    According to Dr. Neal Barnard, milk is preferred mainly because ______.

    1. A.
      children like its taste
    2. B.
      people ignore its disadvantages
    3. C.
      it contains more calcium than other foods
    4. D.
      the calcium in it can build up bone strength
  3. 3.

    We can learn from the text that ______.

    1. A.
      bone strength is determined by many factors
    2. B.
      people’s diets shouldn’t contain animal protein
    3. C.
      the opinion of the PCRM will soon be accepted
    4. D.
      people should turn to vegetables for calcium

Starting high school means many changes in your life. Most teenagers look forward to the first day of high school, but still feel a little bit nervous. In order to make your high school life easier, you can follow these tips.
Learn all you can about your first day before the first day. Take part in some activities that are held at the school for new students to know the school better. If parents are invited to these activities, take yours with you. Carefully look over all the materials you receive. Be sure you know where the school’s buildings are.
Get the things you will need for class. Buy the things suggested on your teachers’ supply lists and place your materials for each class separately.
Keep up with your high school workload（工作量）. If you find you’re not doing well in a subject, make use of after-school study groups or ask your teacher to help you with your schoolwork. Consider private tutoring to get you through a difficult time.
There’re more extracurricular（课外的）activities in high school than in middle school, such as clubs, music and theater groups, student government, and sports teams. Make friends and be seen at such school activities. Join a club or other organizations to meet people and develop friendships. Ask someone in school activities if you don’t know how. This is a good time to do what you like doing and an opportunity to try new things. Who said school has to be all work and no play?
Since you’ll attend more activities in high school than in middle school, you’ll have to learn how to manage you time…

  1. 1.

    The writer wrote this passage to ______

    1. A.
      advise us to study hard in high school
    2. B.
      tell us how to live an easier life in high school
    3. C.
      show that we may live a hard life in high school
    4. D.
      explain why there will be many changes in high school
  2. 2.

    In paragraph 2, the writer suggests that we should ______

    1. A.
      ask our parents to walk us to school
    2. B.
      ask other students about our high school
    3. C.
      prepare all the things we need for our classes
    4. D.
      learn about our high school well before attending it
  3. 3.

    According to paragraph 4, what should we do if we are not doing well in a subject?

    1. A.
      We should get help from others
    2. B.
      We should stop going to activities
    3. C.
      We should spend most of our time on it
    4. D.
      We should give it up if it is not important
  4. 4.

    In paragraph 5, the writer wants to tell us that ______

    1. A.
      every coin has two sides
    2. B.
      the early bird catches the worm
    3. C.
      where there is a will, there is a way
    4. D.
      all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
  5. 5.

    What will the writer most probably talk about next?

    1. A.
      How to manage time well in high school
    2. B.
      Why we need to learn how to manage time
    3. C.
      How to attend more activities in high school
    4. D.
      Why middle school is different from high school

Last year more than 13 Korean (韩国) TV series were introduced in China. Turn on the TV, and Korean beauties are appearing during peak viewing times(黄金时段). Some of the dramas are being repeated, but audiences continue to watch them. Why are the South Korean TV series loved by so many Chinese people? Cheng Yiting, a student from East China Normal University, gives us her reasons. She thinks that the good-looking actors with cool clothes and the beautiful sight in the dramas are the selling points for South Korean TV dramas. But what attracted the young audiences most is the pure and moving love stories.
And it seems that South Korean TV series has also won the hearts of middle-aged people. They are touched by the morals(道德)in the shows. These include the importance of respecting elders and social order. Though some people think South Korean TV series are too slow and too long, most of the Chinese audiences like them. Maybe we are really tired of Western TV series. Compared with that, South Korean TV series are not bad

  1. 1.

    Which of the following is NOT mentioned（提及）about South Korean TV series in the passage?

    1. A.
      Love
    2. B.
      Morals
    3. C.
      Social order
    4. D.
      The youth self-respect
  2. 2.

    What is the main reason why South Korean TV series are popular?

    1. A.
      The series are slow and long
    2. B.
      The actors wear cool clothes
    3. C.
      The stories with morals in them are pure and moving
    4. D.
      The actors are cool
  3. 3.

    What does the writer want to tell us?

    1. A.
      We are fed up with South Korean TV series
    2. B.
      South Korean TV series is a great success and popular in China
    3. C.
      South Korean TV series are better than Chinese TV series
    4. D.
      We can learn a lot from Korean TV series so we need to watch them again and again
 0  10298  10306  10312  10316  10322  10324  10328  10334  10336  10342  10348  10352  10354  10358  10364  10366  10372  10376  10378  10382  10384  10388  10390  10392  10393  10394  10396  10397  10398  10400  10402  10406  10408  10412  10414  10418  10424  10426  10432  10436  10438  10442  10448  10454  10456  10462  10466  10468  10474  10478  10484  10492  151629 

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