Tomorrow evening I will be interviewed on stage by a museum official. I will be an interpreter, talking from experience as a disability rights lawyer and activist.
In “special” schools and camps for children with physical and mental disabilities, I grew up knowing we were a category of person that the world did not want. Most of us had a story of some doctor advising our parents to put up away or to let us die. We owed our survival to parents who had irrationally(不理性地) bonded with us. We knew we were lucky and hoped our luck would hold. To increase the chance of surviving, we tended to be charming. We developed thick skins.
By the time I roll onto the stage the next night, I’ve thought a lot about there and here, then and now. When the first question comes, I tell them about my fascination with the wheelchair, and somehow it sounds funny, and laughter fills the room. We talk from the horror of Nazis killing (Nazis once killed the disabled patients as useless) to a funny confession that I, too, tend to stare at disabled people on the street.
What has come over me? In this room, people with disabilities in thrilling variety make me feel at home. Here people, disabled and not, are gathered by choice.
I haven’t forgotten that 2 million people remain in US disability institutions, that some disabled children still cannot attend mainstream schools, that too many of us live in poverty. But I can’t hold onto anger and sorrow for I feel a shared sense of possibility, a drive for a world that will embrace both the fit and the unfit and hold them so dear that the division dies

  1. 1.

    What’s the author according to the passage?

    1. A.
      A disabled lawyer
    2. B.
      A reporter
    3. C.
      An actor
    4. D.
      An interviewer
  2. 2.

    The underlined phrase “thick skins” in the second paragraph probably means__

    1. A.
      with more clothes
    2. B.
      making skin dirty
    3. C.
      caring nothing of ignorance
    4. D.
      growing more slowly than others
  3. 3.

    The second paragraph is mainly focused on ________

    1. A.
      the growth of the disabled people
    2. B.
      the hatred of the disabled people
    3. C.
      the love of the disabled people
    4. D.
      the appreciation of the disabled people
  4. 4.

    It can be sensed but not clearly stated that the author________

    1. A.
      likes to be interviewed in a museum
    2. B.
      can tell funny stories
    3. C.
      has charming personality
    4. D.
      is humorous and optimistic
  5. 5.

    What’s the author’s attitude towards the future?

    1. A.
      Desperate
    2. B.
      Hopeful
    3. C.
      Negative
    4. D.
      Objective

Washington, November 1, 2012  (CNN) -- After years of planning and months of campaigning（竞选）, the most expensive presidential race in history comes down to a final five-day whirlwind of speeches and television ads in the eight states still up for grabs.
President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney plan to hold virtually nonstop events between now and the Tuesday election considered too close to call.
The focus is on battleground states worth 95 of the 270 electoral votes needed to win. Both sides are trying to close the deal with a decreasing number of uncommitted(未表态的) voters, while making sure supporters actually cast ballots.
That means a game of campaign chess that started Thursday, with appearances by the candidates (候选人)and their assistants as well as advertising dollars allocated to the places considered most vital to success.
Concluding a race expected to cost more than $6 billion overall, Obama and Romney and their running mates will hit all the battleground states -- Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Ohio, New Hampshire, Nevada, Virginia and Wisconsin. The campaigns also are unloading a blast of television ads and mailings that threaten to overwhelm voters already saturated with politicking. Perhaps no one said it better than 4-year-old Abigael Evans of Fort Collins, Colorado, who -- according to NPR -- cried after listening to more election coverage on the radio and told her mother, ‘I'm tired of Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.’

  1. 1.

    The underlined phrase “too close to call” probably means

    1. A.
      a game that one side is clearly winning
    2. B.
      a tie in which neither side seems likely to win
    3. C.
      so close that you need not use a telephone
    4. D.
      a visit close to one’s home state
  2. 2.

    What is the focus of the last-5 -day campaigns for both presidential candidates?

    1. A.
      To make sure that their supporters understand their policies
    2. B.
      To collect enough money for campaign ads
    3. C.
      To paint their rival as black as possible
    4. D.
      To win over the voters who have not decide which candidate to vote for
  3. 3.

    The public generally feel ________ about these last-days election efforts

    1. A.
      excited
    2. B.
      disappointed
    3. C.
      annoyed
    4. D.
      relieved

How difficult change is depends a lot on your attitude towards it and your resistance to it. Your attitude to change can make the whole transformation process much easier.
Imagine change as a pair of shoes and this will help you understand change and how it works. I am sure that you have ever had a comfortable pair of shoes in your life. A pair of shoes is so comfortable that you really don’t want to get rid of them.
You know you need a new pair, and may even have them, but you don’t want to wear them because you are comfortable with your current pair. Besides, the new pair may hurt your feet, give you blisters(水疱) or be awkward to wear to start with. So, you resist the new shoes. However, you know that this new pair would be much better for your feet, and after the initial discomfort they would probably be even more comfortable, yet you still resist.
Do you know I’m doing this now? I’m wearing my comfortable shoes and they feel good. They have a hole in each heel, and the sole is starting to fall off, but I’m persisting in wearing them.
This describes change exactly; change of our habits, change of our thought patterns. We stick with the old patterns because they are comfortable. Yet once we get over the initial pain of the transformation, the new pattern will be comfortable and feel good until the time comes when we need another new pair of shoes

  1. 1.

    Why do people prefer old shoes to new ones?

    1. A.
      They have much emotion in the old ones
    2. B.
      They are more comfortable
    3. C.
      New shoes always harm the feet
    4. D.
      They look better than the new ones
  2. 2.

    According to the passage, we know that people ______

    1. A.
      don’t realize the benefit of the new shoes very well
    2. B.
      are positive and open-minded to accept new things
    3. C.
      actually know the change will finally be good for them
    4. D.
      don’t accept new patterns because they are not good
  3. 3.

    What can be inferred from the passage?

    1. A.
      Once we form a habit, it’s difficult to change it
    2. B.
      Most people pay more attention to the future life
    3. C.
      One’s attitude towards something is usually traditional
    4. D.
      The more often we change, the better our life will be

For many years, I was convinced that my suffering was due to my size. I believed that when the weight disappeared, it would take old wounds, hurts and rejections with it.
Many weight-conscious people also mistakenly believe that changing our bodies will fix everything. Perhaps our worst mistake is believing that being thin equals being loved, being special, and being cherished. We fantasize about what it will be like when we reach the long-awaited goal. We work very hard to realize this dream. Then, at last, we find ourselves there.
But we often gain back what we have lost. Even so, we continue to believe that next time it will be different. Next time, we will keep it off. Next time, being thin will finally fulfill its promise of everlasting happiness, self-worth, and, of course, love.
It took me a long while to realize that there was something more for me to learn about beauty. Beauty standards vary with culture. In Samoa a woman is not considered attractive unless she weighs more than 200 pounds. More importantly, if it’s happiness that we want, why not put our energy there rather than on the size of our body? Why not look inside? Many of us strive hard to change our body, but in vain. We have to find a way to live comfortably inside our body and make friends with and cherish ourselves. When we change our attitudes toward ourselves, the whole world changes

  1. 1.

    What does the underlined word “everything” in Paragraph 2 mean?

    1. A.
      All the problems
    2. B.
      All the properties
    3. C.
      The whole world
    4. D.
      The absolute truth
  2. 2.

    What can be inferred about the author?

    1. A.
      The author is a Samoan
    2. B.
      The author succeeded losing weight
    3. C.
      The author has been troubled by her weight
    4. D.
      The author probably got wounded in an accident
  3. 3.

    According to the text, those who have lost weight first and gained it back later feel _______

    1. A.
      angry about the regained weight
    2. B.
      indifferent to the regained weight
    3. C.
      optimistic about future plans on weight control
    4. D.
      they should give up their future plans on weight control
  4. 4.

    The text tries to stress the importance of ____________

    1. A.
      body size
    2. B.
      attitudes toward life
    3. C.
      culture difference
    4. D.
      different beauty standards

Ray Travers sat back at the large desk, and looked around his plush（豪华的）office．He was tired．
Ray's eyes stopped at a painting on the wall．It was a gift given by an old friend, Bull, as a farewell gift when he left his hometown．He recalled the life spent in that small town; pleasant times．The many hours he spent talking lo his good friend, and the tales he was told about hunting in the Africa of old．
Memories flowed back more than ten years; he remembered how he enjoyed hearing about the wonderful hunting, and how he wished he could have shared those times．
Ray opened his desk drawer and brought out a wooden box．He opened the lid and exposed a work of art, a hand-made hunting knife．This was a gift from Bull, given to Ray more than 20 years ago．It was one of the first knives Bull had made, and Ray had called it "Zambezi”, the river where Bull had been so many times．
He closed the box and sat upright at his desk; he was driving himself hard, and deserved a break．Things were going well with the business, everything running smoothly．He could afford a week off!
He went back home．A week in the hometown would be like going back in history．"Man, it's going to be good," Ray said aloud, as he turned onto the highway and watched the city lights fast disappearing, as he looked in the rearview mirror．
It was well into the night when Ray pulled into an all-night gas station He walked around the gas station and the memories started …  He was finally back on the road, the powerful car going its way through the night, headlights piercing （穿透） the darkness．Memories danced through the man' s mind．Memories of good times , when he knew what it was to relax , to talk, and to really visit．
Slowly entering town he looked around．Ray sat in his car, looking at the old building, smiling． Inside it was almost as though it was the same people as 15 years ago．

  1. 1.

    We learn from the passage that Bull is           ．

    1. A.
      Ray's colleague
    2. B.
      a man in Ray' s hometown
    3. C.
      Ray's relative in Africa
    4. D.
      an African woodcarving artist
  2. 2.

    What does the author mainly want to tell us in Paragraphs 2 -5?

    1. A.
      Bull loved Africa and knew much about it．
    2. B.
      Bull was good at making works of art．
    3. C.
      Ray missed his hometown and relatives．
    4. D.
      Ray missed the time he spent with Bull in his hometown．
  3. 3.

    What do we know from the passage?

    1. A.
      Ray visited Africa together with Bull many times．
    2. B.
      Ray and Bull often went hunting together．
    3. C.
      Zambezi is the name of a river in Hay a hometown．
    4. D.
      Ray planned to stay in his hometown for about a week．
  4. 4.

    What does the under lined part in Paragraph 7 mean?

    1. A.
      Ray knew how to relax after keeping busy for along time．
    2. B.
      Ray didn't want to leave his hometown because of so many memories．
    3. C.
      Ray's hometown changed a lot and was worth a visit．
    4. D.
      The visit to his hometown reminded Ray of the days together with Bull．
  5. 5.

    What may the author talk about in the paragraph that follows the passage?

    1. A.
      The hard time Ray experienced in his career．
    2. B.
      Why Ray left his hometown alone．
    3. C.
      The situation in Ray's hometown．
    4. D.
      How Ray became a successful businessman．

MAY 14 marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of the state of Israel(以色列). Many Israelis, however, are not in the mood to celebrate.
Looking at the damage to her neighbor's home from a Palestinian（巴勒斯坦） rocket, Batia Katar, a 17-year-old Israeli girl, was in tears. "We can't celebrate (Israel's) independence when things like this are happening," she said.
What is clear is that Israel is not a normal country. The country has a dramatic (戏剧性) history and ancient culture but has only officially existed for 60 years. Within hours after it was established in 1948, Israel was at war with its Arab neighbors for land. It won that time, and in 1956, 1967 and 1973, acquiring the West Bank, the Golan Heights, Gaza and east Jerusalem. For good or ill, Israelis can take pride in victories with so many countries. However, it occupied much more land than the United Nations agreed, which left local Palestinians homeless.
Different from all its neighbors in religion, Israel is also far more successful economically than its neighbors. Though, it gets a great amount of support from America and other Western countries. The country is now a world leader in many industries, such as IT and modern agriculture.
However, conflict exists, just like 60 years ago. And the signal of peace is as weak as ever. Palestinian militants (武装人员) have fired more than 7,000 missiles  from Gaza, mainly at Sedro, killing 13 people. In the same period hundreds of Palestinian civilians  in Gaza have died in Israeli military action.
In order to create peace, the world community hopes both sides accept and follow the Middle East peace plan. Optimists believe through Israeli-Palestinian negotiations there will finally be peace.
Both Israelis and Palestinians want to live in peace without explosions that remind them that they are living in a special but dangerous place

  1. 1.

    Why are many Israelis not in the mood to celebrate the both anniversary of the founding of the state of Israel? Because         

    1. A.
      the government didn't organize it
    2. B.
      they are too busy to attend it
    3. C.
      it is dangerous to celebrate it
    4. D.
      conflicts and fights still exist
  2. 2.

    The underlined word established in the fourth paragraph means         

    1. A.
      defeated
    2. B.
      founded
    3. C.
      attacked
    4. D.
      accepted
  3. 3.

    Israel is not a normal country because         

    1. A.
      the country has a dramatic history and ancient culture but has only officially existed for 60 years
    2. B.
      within hours after its establishment, Israel was at war with its Arab neighbors for land
    3. C.
      it occupied much more land than the UN agreed, which left local Palestinians homeless
    4. D.
      all of the above
  4. 4.

    Which statement about Israel is NOT true according to the passage?

    1. A.
      It became a country in 1948
    2. B.
      It is different from all its neighbors in religion
    3. C.
      It is now a world leader in many industries, such as IT and modern agriculture
    4. D.
      No country has supported it since it was founded
  5. 5.

    It can be inferred from the passage that         

    1. A.
      it is still a question mark whether Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace
    2. B.
      Israel was created as a homeland for homeless Jews
    3. C.
      for good or ill, Israelis can take pride in victories with so many countries
    4. D.
      Israel is far more successful economically than its neighbors

I live in Hollywood. You may think people in such an attractive, fun-filled place are happier than others. If so, you have some mistaken ideas about the nature of happiness.
Many intelligent people still equate happiness with fun. The truth is that fun and happiness have little or nothing in common. Fun is what we experience during an act. Happiness is what we experience after an act. It is a deeper, more long-lasting emotion. Going to an amusement park or ball game, watching a movie or television, are fun activities that help us relax, temporarily forget our problems and maybe even laugh. But they do not bring happiness, because their positive effects end when the fun ends.
I have often thought that if Hollywood stars have a role to play, it is to teach us that happiness has nothing to do with fun. These rich, beautiful individuals have constant access to exciting parties, fancy cars, expensive homes, everything that spells “happiness”. But in memoir(回忆录) after memoir, celebrities reveal the unhappiness hidden beneath all their fun: depression, alcoholism, drug addiction, broken marriages, troubled children, and long-time loneliness.
The way people hold on to the belief that a fun-filled, pain-free life equates happiness actually decreases their chances of ever attaining real happiness. If fun and pleasure are equated with happiness, then pain must be equated with unhappiness. But, in fact, the opposite is true: More times than not, things that lead to happiness involve some pain.
As a result, many people avoid the very efforts that are the source of true happiness. They fear the pain inevitably brought by such things as marriage, raising children, professional achievement, religious commitment, charitable work and self-improvement

  1. 1.

    According to the passage, “fun activities” ____________

    1. A.
      are the things we do before we find happiness
    2. B.
      may help us relax and forget our problems sometimes
    3. C.
      will lead us to the true happiness
    4. D.
      could provide long-last positive effects
  2. 2.

    In the author’s opinion, those Hollywood stars ____________

    1. A.
      possess happiness because they are rich and famous
    2. B.
      experience almost all kinds of happy things
    3. C.
      tell us happiness isn’t equal to fun using their own stories
    4. D.
      have to suffer a lot before they become successful
  3. 3.

    It is difficult for people to find real happiness because ____________

    1. A.
      they believe happiness is the fun life without pain
    2. B.
      they find pain equals unhappiness
    3. C.
      they fear to lose what they already have in life
    4. D.
      They are afraid all their efforts were in vain
  4. 4.

    The main purpose of the text is to ____________

    1. A.
      describe the difference between happiness and fun
    2. B.
      show the true meaning of happiness
    3. C.
      encourage people to pursue fun activities
    4. D.
      advise people to find their real life

I want to tell you a story that changed my life many years ago. We were living in College Station, Texas and my wife and I were on our way home from Houston, Texas one Saturday morning. We decided to stop at a local restaurant to get something to eat since we had enough time. When we finished, we got back into our car and before I started it, we noticed a homeless man standing in front of the building. His clothes were worn and it looked as though he didn’t have any money. It was cold and I was sure he wanted something warm to drink; however, it was not this that I remember, because that is not what "moved" me. A dog was also walking up to the front of the building. Being a dog owner, I knew that the dog was a mother, and that she had just had some pups (小狗). She was hungry and weak and I felt bad for her. I knew if she didn’t eat soon, she and her pups would not live. People walking by didn’t even notice her. She was not as pretty and clean as most dogs, but she still deserved (值得) better. We still did not do anything, but someone else did. The homeless man, who I thought could not afford anything to eat, went into the store and bought dog food with all the money he had

  1. 1.

    Where did the story happen?

    1. A.
      In front of the local restaurant
    2. B.
      In front of a building
    3. C.
      In the car parking lot
    4. D.
      Near the author’s house
  2. 2.

    What do we know about the dog?

    1. A.
      The author wanted to help the dog, but he was un-able to
    2. B.
      The dog and her pups were in danger of dying from hunger
    3. C.
      The dog was not cute enough to be loved
    4. D.
      The author didn’t like dogs
  3. 3.

    Which of the following moved the author?

    1. A.
      The homeless man had no money to buy food for himself
    2. B.
      The homeless man wore worn clothes on cold days
    3. C.
      The homeless man bought food for a dog with all his money
    4. D.
      Most people walking by the dog didn’t notice her
  4. 4.

    What can we conclude(得出结论) from the passage?

    1. A.
      The author was so hungry that he went into the local restaurant to eat
    2. B.
      The author didn’t understand what the homeless man did
    3. C.
      The dog shouldn’t be taken care of carefully because it looked ugly
    4. D.
      Things are not always what they seem
  5. 5.

    Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

    1. A.
      My Memory
    2. B.
      A Poor Dog
    3. C.
      The Homeless Person
    4. D.
      A Mother Dog


You and your friends will have lots of fun with Rabbit Ears Walkie -Talkies. You can talk to someone who is in another room at your house or someone who is up to 180 feet away from you. You can take your walkie -talkie with you when you go camping or walking.Rabbit Ears Walkie -Talkies are easy to use. This is what you do:
1. Push the ON button.
2. Hold the TALK button in and say something. If your friend has his/her walkie - talkie on, he/she will hear you.
If you want to talk for a long time, you can lock the TALK button. Just push the button in and up. When you finish talking, push the TALK button down.
3. When you finish talking, let go of the TALK button and listen. When your friend pushes the TALK button and says something, you will hear what your friend says through your walkie -talkie.
4. When you finish talking with your friend, push the ON button again to turn your walkie-talkie off.

REMEMBER
◆If you cannot hear , push L (loud) to make   it louder.
◆If it is too loud, push S (soft) to make   it quieter.

  1. 1.

    What are Rabbit Ears Walkie -Talkies used for?

    1. A.
      Locating places
    2. B.
      Listening to music
    3. C.
      Giving directions
    4. D.
      Talking with others
  2. 2.

    How can you lock the TALK button?

    1. A.
      Keep the button on
    2. B.
      Hold the button back
    3. C.
      Push the button in and up
    4. D.
      Turn the button off and down
  3. 3.

    Which button will you push when you can't hear clearly?

    1. A.
      L
    2. B.
      S
    3. C.
      TALK
    4. D.
      ON
  4. 4.

    The author writes this passage to _____

    1. A.
      show how to use Rabbit Ears Walkie -Talkies
    2. B.
      explain to the readers his camping experience
    3. C.
      introduce some special ways to make friends
    4. D.
      tell how to make Rabbit Ears Walkie –Talkies

Robert Owen was born in Wales in 1771. At the age of ten he went to work. His employer had a large private library so Owen was able to educate himself. He read a lot in his spare time and at nineteen he was given the job of superintendent(监工) at a Manchester cotton mill. He was so successful there that he persuaded his employer to buy the New Lanark mill in Scotland.
When he arrived at New Lanark it was a dirty little town with a population of 2,000 people. Nobody paid any attention to the workers' houses or their children's education. The conditions in the factories were very bad. There was a lot of crime and the men spent most of their wages on alcoholic drinks.
Owen improved the houses. He encouraged people to be clean and save money. He opened a shop and sold the workers cheap, well-made goods to help them. He limited the sale of alcoholic drinks. Above all, he fixed his mind on the children's education. In 1816, he opened the first free primary school in Britain.
People came from all over the country to visit Owen's factory. They saw that the workers were healthier and more efficient than in other towns. Their children were better fed and better educated. Owen tried the same experiment in the United States. He bought some land there in 1825,but the community was too far away. He could not keep it under control and lost most of his money.
Owen never stopped fighting for his idea. Above all he believed that people are not born good or bad. He was a practical man and his ideas were practical. "If you give people good working conditions," he thought, "they will work well and, the most important thing of all, if you give them the chance to learn, they will be better people."

  1. 1.

    For Owen, his greatest achievement in New Lanark was _____________

    1. A.
      improving worker's houses
    2. B.
      helping people to save money
    3. C.
      preventing men from getting drunk
    4. D.
      providing the children with a good education
  2. 2.

    From the passage we may infer that Owen was born ___________

    1. A.
      into a rich family
    2. B.
      into a noble family
    3. C.
      into a poor family
    4. D.
      into a middle class family
  3. 3.

    Owen's experiment in the United States failed because _______

    1. A.
      he lost all his money
    2. B.
      he did not buy enough land
    3. C.
      people who visited it were not impressed
    4. D.
      it was too far away for him to organize it properly
  4. 4.

    We may infer form the passage that no children in Britain could enjoy free education until ____

    1. A.
      1771
    2. B.
      1816
    3. C.
      1825
    4. D.
      1860
 0  10593  10601  10607  10611  10617  10619  10623  10629  10631  10637  10643  10647  10649  10653  10659  10661  10667  10671  10673  10677  10679  10683  10685  10687  10688  10689  10691  10692  10693  10695  10697  10701  10703  10707  10709  10713  10719  10721  10727  10731  10733  10737  10743  10749  10751  10757  10761  10763  10769  10773  10779  10787  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