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Read a whole book in English? Me?
Yes, you. Believe it or not, that may be easier than you think. Not all classics are too difficult or complicated. So you’re not limited to the simplified versions. And the easier books are not all for children.
Books in their original versions may send you to the dictionary. And you might not understand everything you read. But reading one from cover to cover will give you a real sense of accomplishment(成就). The key is to find the right books. Let’s take a look at these.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (C.S. Lewis)
Stepping into an old wardrobe, four English schoolchildren find themselves in the magical world of Narnia. On this delightful land, they find friends among the many talking creatures. The children soon discover, however, that Narnia is ruled by the White Witch. Edmund, one of the children, falls under her power. Who can free Narnia? Only Aslan, the great and noble lion. He alone knows the Deeper Magic. But the children themselves must help fight the battle against the White Witch and those who serve her.
The Old Man and the Sea (Ernest Hemingway)
Santiago, an old Cuban fisherman, hasn’t caught any fish in more than 80 days. Sailing far out from land, the old man hooks an enormous fish. That begins an agonizing three day battle. First he struggles against the great fish. Then he must fight off the sharks that circle the little boat and threaten to eat his fish. Exhausted and bleeding, the old man arrives back at shore. But his fish, his beautiful fish . . .
Hemingway won the Nobel Prize for this superb story of strength and courage, of victory and regret.
A Wrinkle in Time (Madeleine Lingle)
Meg’s father, a U.S. government scientist, has been missing for many months. He had been experimenting with time travel when he mysteriously disappeared.
Now Meg, her little brother Charles Wallace and her friend Calvin will try to rescue him. But first they must outwit the forces of evil they encounter(遇到) on their journey through time and space. Can they find Meg’s father before it’s too late?
This novel is more than just a science fiction adventure. It’s an exploration of the nature of our universe.
The Pearl (John Steinbeck)
One day Kino, a poor Mexican pearl diver, finds a magnificent pearl. With it he dreams of buying a better life, new clothes and schooling for his son. Instead, it brings only evil. His wife pleads with him to get rid of it. "No," says Kino. "I will have my chance. I am a man." But when he kills a man who is trying to steal the pearl, Kino and his wife must run for their lives.This tale of dreams, justice and the power of greed is told simply and beautifully.
The Long Winter (Laura Ingalls Wilder)
It’s winter, 1880—1881, on America’s northern prairies. Mr. and Mrs. Ingalls and their four girls stay near the kitchen stove to keep warm. Heavy snowstorms cut them off even from neighbors. With the trains stopped, no supplies can reach the town. Food and fuel are running out. Day after day the girls must grind wheat for bread and twist hay to burn. At times they nearly lose the battle to keep their spirits up.
This story provides a fascinating glimpse into the life of early American settlers.
1.
In the passage, the author intends to _______.
A.
recommend a few simplified versions of classics
B.
recommend a few original versions of classics
C.
tell us how to read an English book from beginning to end
D.
tell us how to find proper English books to read
2.
In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the White Witch is probably _____.
A.
an evil woman with magic power
B.
a friendly woman with magic power
C.
a delightful talking creature
D.
a powerful lion
3.
The underlined word "outwit" in the passage probably means ______.
A.
get rid of
B.
take advantage of
C.
beat by being cleverer
D.
make the most of
4.
Which book deals with history?
A.
The Pearl.
B.
The Old Man and the Sea.
C.
A Wrinkle in Time.
D.
The Long Winter.
5.
A Wrinkle in Time is different from other books mentioned in the passage in that _____.
A.
it is not a science fiction
B.
it tells a true story
C.
it provides some scientific knowledge
D.
it tells the battle between justice and evil
When milk arrived on the doorstep
When I was a boy growing up in New Jersey in the 1960s, we had a milkman delivering milk to our doorstep. His name was Mr. Basille. He wore a white cap and drove a white truck. As a 5-year-old boy, I couldn’t take my eyes off the coin changer fixed to his belt. He noticed this one day during a delivery and gave me a quarter out of his coin changer.
Of course, he delivered more than milk. There was cheese, eggs and so on. If we needed to change our order, my mother would pen a note—“Please add a bottle of buttermilk next delivery”—and place it in the box along with the empty bottles. And then, the buttermilk would magically(魔术般)appear.
All of this was about more than convenience. There existed a close relationship between families and their milkmen. Mr. Basille even had a key to our house, for those times when it was so cold outside that we put the box indoors, so that the milk wouldn't freeze. And I remember Mr. Basille from time to time taking a break at our kitchen table, having a cup of tea and telling stories about his delivery.
There is sadly no home milk delivery today. Big companies allowed the production of cheaper milk thus making it difficult for milkmen to compete (竞争). Besides, milk is for sale everywhere, and it may just not have been practiced to have a delivery service.
Recently, an old milk box in the countryside I saw brought back my childhood memories. I took it home and planted it on the back porch (门廊). Every so often ,my son's friends will ask what it is. So I start telling stories of my boyhood, and of the milkman who brought us friendship along with his milk
1.
Mr. Basille gave the boy a quarter out of his coin changer
A.
to show his magical power
B.
to pay for the delivery
C.
to satisfy his curiosity
D.
to please his mother
2.
What can be inferred from the fact that the milkman had the key to the boy's house?
A.
He wanted to have tea there
B.
He was a respectable person
C.
He was treated as a family member
D.
He was fully trusted by the family
3.
Why does home milk delivery no longer exist?
A.
Nobody wants to be a milkman now
B.
It has been driven out of the market
C.
Its service is getting poor
D.
It is forbidden by law
4.
Why did the author bring back home an old milk box?
A.
He missed the good old days
B.
He wanted to tell interesting stories
C.
He needed it for his milk bottles
D.
He planted flowers in it
For most Chinese university students, the US is a favorite destination for further education. But apart from obstacles such as the GRE and TOEFL exams, choosing a good graduate school is no easy task.
Admission is very competitive for international students, so it is important to apply for a number of institutions to have a reasonable chance of acceptance.
Since the application to most universities requires a certain fee, Chinese students usually choose seven to 17 universities according to their own financial circumstances.
Wang Yuwei, a Zhejiang University graduate, sent applications to 15 US universities.
When the 24-year-old girl began looking for a US graduate school in her senior year, she took time to compare the various schools and find the ones most suiting her needs. Now, studying at the University of Washington, she knows that her hard work paid off.
“To broaden your chances, at least one third of the applications should be to less selective schools,” said Wang. “Applicants shouldn’t limit their choices to the most famous institutions.”
Furthermore, one shouldn’t rely on too much on college rankings such as the Gorman Report or US News & World Report’s annual league tables.
The right school is the one that best meets your own personal needs and interests, rather than someone else’s assessment of an institution’s prestige(声望).
“Usually choices are based on one’s personal interests and academic background, but it is important to make sure that your chosen subject is satisfying,” said Wang.
1.
The author believes that the right school is the one that _____.
A.
has the best location
B.
offers good living conditions
C.
best meets one’s assessment of an institution’s prestige
D.
best meets one’s own personal needs and interests
2.
According to this passage, what can we judge?
A.
To go abroad for further education, you must pass the GRE or TOTEL.
B.
Choosing a good graduate school is a piece of cake.
C.
More and more students will go abroad for their further education.
D.
To get a better chance to go abroad, you’d better apply for a less selective school.
3.
In the passage the writer uses the example of Wang Yuwei to show ______.
A.
you must spend a lot of time comparing the various schools
B.
it is necessary to find the suitable university that meets your personal interests
C.
it isn’t worthwhile to spend time looking for the right university
D.
one’s own financial circumstances is worth considering
4.
What will be continued after this passage?
A.
How hard Chinese students studied in America.
B.
Some advice on how to take care of yourself in America.
C.
Some other things to consider to choose the right school.
D.
The difficulties you will meet with while living in America
Tug-of –war is not only popular in China, but in many other countries. Their tug-of-war match is a little different from ours. They have eight men for each team, while we may have the match between two sides with equal men or women players. Of course, they are usually tall, strong and heavy.
For a tug-of-war match, we need a long thick rope. Each team stands at one end of the rope, holding it. Then they try to pull the center of the rope, marked in the ground towards each of their own sides. The team which succeeds in pulling the center of the rope away through a certain distance is the winner.
Many foreign sports experts think we don’t have to be tall, heavy and strong to play tug-of-war. We don’t have endless energy, for a match lasts only a few minutes. The secret is good hands. The players must have big strong, hard hands. Before they start the match they put mixture of oil and petrol on their hands so they can hold the rope better.
Many foreign experts say the best hand for tug-of-war belong to the sons of farmers. This is because they have to work hard when they are still very young. Farming is a good practice for this sport!
1.
In our country tug-of-war ______.
A.
is not very popular
B.
is not so popular as in foreign countries
C.
is only a men’s game
D.
is not only played by men but also by women
2.
In foreign countries a tug-of-war team __________.
A.
has eight men or women players
B.
has men players equal in number to the other side
C.
has eight men players
D.
is formed in the same way as in our country
3.
Tug-of-war is a match in which who __________ are winners.
A.
pulled the rope to their side farther
B.
made the center near to their own side
C.
succeeded in pulling the center of the rope in their direction
D.
made the center of the rope pass through a certain length nearer to their side
4.
The foreign experts think a good tug-of-war player must _________.
A.
have lasting energy
B.
have big, strong and hard hands
C.
do farm work
D.
be tall, heavy and strong
5.
Which of the following is not true?
A.
In foreign countries women take part in tug-of-war.
B.
In foreign countries a tug-of-war match has 16 players.
C.
In order to hold the rope better, many players put a mixture of oil and petrol on their hands.
D.
The sons of farmers are thought to be the best tug-of-war players.
Minh Pham was born in Vietnam. He left there when he was 21 years old. Minh has been in America for almost two years. There is still much he does not understand about America.?
Once, Minh was in a supermarket. He saw an old man and an old woman. They wanted a box of cereal(麦片).The box was on a high shelf. The man and the woman couldn’t reach it. Minh saw a stepladder. He got on the ladder and got the box. He handed it to the elderly couple. They thanked him.?
“Where are your children?” asked Minh. “Why don’t they help you buy food?” “Our children have their own lives,” said the man and the woman. “We like to be independent.” Minh doesn’t think this is right. In his country, children help their parents. Minh gave the elderly couple his phone number. He told them to call him if they needed help. One night they asked Minh to dinner, but they never asked him for help.?
One day, Minh was walking with a Vietnamese friend. The two men were going to a movie. Minh wanted to go to a restaurant first. Minh took his friend’s hand. He pulled him towards the restaurant. People on the street stared at Minh. In Vietnam, friends often hold hands. Minh found that the people in America are not used to men holding hands.?
Minh Pham is going through a process(过程) known as
resocialization
. Socialization(社会化) is the process in which a person learns to live in a society. Everyone goes through this process. Minh went through it when he lived in Vietnam. But the Vietnamese way of life is rather different from the American way of life. When Minh came to America, he had to learn a new way of life. He had to learn how to live in a new society. Minh has learned a lot about American life in two years. He still has a lot to learn. The process of resocialization can take many years.?
1.
The main idea of the passage is that socialization is the way in which a person ______.?
A.
learns to live in a society
B.
travels from one country to another
C.
learns to act independently
D.
learns about their country
2.
The passage states that Minh didn’t understand why the elderly man and woman were not ______.
A.
helped by their children
B.
shopping for their children?
C.
holding hands
D.
using a stepladder?
3.
According to the passage, socialization happens to ______.
A.
only the Vietnamese in America
B.
only Americans?
C.
only older people
D.
everyone?
4.
The underlined word “resocialization” means ______.?
A.
keeping one’s own way of life?
B.
keeping up with others?
C.
a process of learning how to live in a new society?
D.
understanding a new culture?
Linda often asked Luke to dinner. Linda loved Luke, but Luke loved Linda’s cooking, not Linda herself. Linda accepted that for the time being. But she felt that, with enough meals and enough time, she would get her man.
Luke rarely stayed more than ten minutes past the last bite of dessert. Linda would ask luke if he wanted to watch TV, or play cards or chess, or take a walk around the neighborhood, but Luke always declined. He always said, “ I’ve got to go.” They both knew that Luke didn’t have to go anywhere. All he ever did was to go back to his apartment and read books or go online.
Tonight was probably going to be more of the same. But Linda was a patient woman. She loved to cook, and she loved to watch people eat her cooking. Tonight she prepared shrimp, fresh green beans, mashed potatoes, and asparagus(芦笋). Luke ate everything. Then she brought out her homemade cheesecake with vanilla ice cream for dessert.
Luke asked, “ Are you trying to fatten me up for something? Every time I come over here, I have to eat celery(芹菜) and lettuce for a week to get back down to my normal weight. Or maybe I should start going to the gym more often. Nah, I’m too lazy for that.”
“Oh, stop exaggerating(夸张).” Linda replied. “ You enoy every mouthful. And besides, I don’t think you lazy at all.”
“ You’re right. I apologise. I love your cooking, and if you didn’t invite me over here, I’d be hurt and hungry.”
Linda watched contentedly(满足地) as Luke devoured the cheesecake and ice cream. Someday, she thought, I will be his dessert.
1.
Which of the following were included in the meal Linda made for Luke.
A.
Shrimp, tomatoes and ice cream.
B.
Mashed potatoes, ice cream and cheesecake.
C.
Bean, fried potaties and asparagus.
D.
Shrimp, green peas and cheesecake.
2.
What can be inferred from this passage?
A.
Linda will eventually capture Luke’s heart.
B.
Luke is often a very busy man.
C.
Linda prefers fat men.
D.
Both Luke and Linda are single.
3.
According to the passage which of the following is NOT true about Luke?
A.
He owns a computer.
B.
He enjoys reading.
C.
He prefers ice cream to cheesecake.
D.
He has had dinner with Linda before.
4.
What would be the best title for this passage?
A.
My Foolish Heart.
B.
The Way to a Man’s Heart is Through his Stomach.
C.
The Fatter the Better.
D.
The Food of Life.
5.
Why did Luke always decline Linda’s invitations to do other things besides eating?
A.
He was often busy at work.
B.
He only liked Linda’s cooking.
C.
He preferred being alone most of the time.
D.
He was very shy.
After the terrible car accident, the whole world had been completely dark and quiet for Robert Edwards for almost ten years, for he became both blind and deaf after the doctor had saved him. The loss of sight and hearing threw him into such a sorrow that he tried a few times to put an end to his life. His family, especially his wife, did their best to tend and comfort him. By and by he finally regained the courage to live on.
On a hot summer afternoon he was taking a walk with a stick near his house when a thunderstorm started all of a sudden. He stood under a large tree in order not to get himself wet. Unfortunately he was struck down to the ground by a lightning. The witnesses thought him dead but he woke up some twenty minutes later, lying face down in muddy water below the tree. He felt that he was trembling badly, but when he opened his eyes, he didn’t dare to believe that he saw a plough lying near the wall. When Mrs. Edwards came running up to him, she shouted to their neighbors for help. And he saw her and heard her voice for the first time in nearly 10 years.
The news of Robert’s regaining his sight and hearing quickly spread across his area, and many doctors came to prove the truth of the news. Most of them said that he gained sight and hearing again obviously from the knock of the lightning. However, none of them could give believable reasons. The only reasonable explanation given by one doctor was that, since Edwards lost his sight and hearing as a result of a sudden shock in a terrible accident, perhaps the only way for them to regain was by another sudden shock.
1.
When Robert Edwards learned he lost both sight and hearing, he ______.
A.
was looked down upon by his former companions
B.
was unwilling to face the fact
C.
lost the courage of continuing his life
D.
regretted for what he had done
2.
On a hot afternoon Robert Edwards stood under a big tree because______.
A.
he didn’t want to get himself wet
B.
he hoped to cool himself in the shade
C.
he was waiting for his wife to carry him home
D.
he wished to be cured by a sudden shock
3.
Which word can best describe the feeling of Robert Edwards when he came to himself?
A.
Regretful.
B.
Pleasantly surprised.
C.
Nervous.
D.
Doubtful.
4.
When hearing the news that Robert had regained his sight and hearing, many doctors came here to______.
A.
call on him
B.
ask him for help
C.
find out the real reason
D.
know whether it was true.
Proper arrangement of classroom space is important to encouraging interaction. Most of us have noticed how important physical setting is to efficiency and comfort in our work. College classroom space should be designed to encourage the activity of critical thinking.
We have entered the 21st century, but step into almost any college classroom and you step back in time at least a hundred years. Desks are normally in straight rows, so students can clearly see the teacher but not all their classmates. The message behind such an arrangement is obvious. Everything of importance comes from the teacher.
With a little imagination and effort, unless desks are fixed to the floor, the teacher can correct this situation and create space that encourage interchange among students. In small or standard-size classes, chairs, desks, and tables can be arranged in a variety of ways. The primary goal should be for everyone to be able to see everyone else. Large classes, particularly those held in lecture halls, unfortunately, allow much less flexibility.
Arrangement of the classroom should also make it easy to divide students into small groups for discussion or problem-solving exercises. Small classes with movable desks and tables present no problem. Even in large lecture halls, it is possible for students to turn around and form groups of four to six. Breaking a class into small groups provides more opportunities for students to interact with each other, think out loud, and see how other students’ thinking processes operate all essential elements in developing new modes of critical thinking.
In courses that regularly use a small group format, students might be asked to stay in the same small groups throughout the course. A colleague of mine, John, allows students to move around during the first two weeks, until they find a group they are comfortable with. John then asks them to stay in the same seat, with the same group, from that time on. This not only creates a comfortable setting for interaction but helps him learn students’ names and faces.
1.
The primary purpose of desk rearrangement is _______.
A.
for the teacher to divide students into small groups.
B.
to make it possible for students to interact with each other.
C.
for the teacher to find out how students think.
D.
to give students more opportunities to practice speaking.
2.
The expression “step back in time at least a hundred years” in Paragraph 2 is intended to convey the idea that _______.
A.
there is not much change in educational idea over the past hundred years
B.
critical thinking was encouraged even a century ago
C.
college classrooms often remind people of their college life
D.
a hundred years ago, desk arrangement in a classroom was quite different
3.
The greatest advantage in allowing each student to find his own group might be that________
A.
learning is made comfortable in this way
B.
the teacher can easily remember students’ names and faces
C.
the teacher saves the trouble in doing that
D.
brighter students can help slower ones.
4.
It is implied in the passage that ______.
A.
students are allowed to changed groups throughout the course in John’s class
B.
classroom interaction between students is essential to the teachers
C.
a comfortable environment leads to higher working efficiency
D.
new kinds of desks and chairs should be made
5.
The author mentioned John in the last paragraph in order to ________
A.
create a comfortable setting for interaction
B.
introduce an approach of learning students’ names and faces easily
C.
give an example that students stay in the same seat throughout the course.
D.
describe a good seat-arrangement mode in courses with small group format.
On Nov. 18, 1995, Itzhak Perlman, the violinist, came on stage to give a concert at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City.
If you have ever been to a Perlman concert, you know that getting on stage is no small achievement for him. He was stricken with polio(小儿麻痹症) as a child, and so he has braces(支架) on both legs and walks with the aid of two crutches(双拐).
He walks painfully, yet majestically, until he reaches his chair. Then he sits down, slowly, puts his crutches on the floor, undoes the clasps on his legs, tucks one foot back and extends the other foot forward. Then he bends down and picks up the violin, puts it under his chin, nods to the conductor and proceeds to play.
But this time, something went wrong. Just as he finished the first few bars(小节), one of the strings on his violin broke. You could hear it snap(嘣断)——it went off like gunfire across the room. There was no mistaking what that meant. There was no mistaking what he had to do.
We figured that he would have to get up, put on the clasps again, pick up the crutches and limp his way off stage——to either find another violin or else find another string for this one. But he didn’t. Instead, he waited a moment, closed his eyes and then signaled the conductor to begin again.
The orchestra began, and he played from where he had left off. And he played with such passion and such power and such purity as they had never heard before.
When he finished, there was an awesome silence in the room. And then people rose and cheered. He smiled, wiped the sweat from this brow, raised his bow to quiet us, and then he said in a quiet tone, “You know, sometimes it is the artist’s task to find out how much music you can still make with what you have left.”
1.
By saying “getting on stage is no small achievement for him”, the author really means ______.
A.
it’s very difficult for Itzhak Perlman to play the violin with three strings
B.
it’s not easy for Itzhak Perlman to get on the stage because he is disabled
C.
it’s not easy for Itzhak Perlman to face such a large audience
D.
it’s really great achievements for Itzhak Perlman to play the violin with three strings
2.
When one of the strings broke, people thought Itzhak Perlman would __________.
A.
go on playing with the remaining three strings
B.
give up playing
C.
change or repair his violin
D.
get off the stage with shame
3.
Itzhak Perlman ___________ when one of the strings of the violin broke.
A.
gave up playing
B.
didn’t know what to do
C.
went on playing the same piece of music
D.
went on playing a different piece of music
4.
What did the audience feel when Itzhak Perlman finished playing?
A.
Surprised
B.
Disappointed
C.
Moved
D.
Satisfied
5.
Itzhak Perlman can be best described as a man who is ____________.
A.
clever
B.
strong willed
C.
humourous
D.
quite skilled
Motherhood is a career to respect
A WOMAN renewing her driver’s license at the CountyClerk’s office was asked to state her occupation. She hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself.
“What I mean is,” explained the recorder, “do you have a job, or are you just a...”
“Of course I have a job,” said Emily. “I’m a mother.”
“We don’t list ‘mother’ as an occupation... ‘housewife’ covers it,” said the recorder.
One day I found myself in the same situation. The Clerk was obviously a career woman, confident and possessed of a high sounding title. “What is your occupation?” she asked.
The words simply popped out. “I’m a Research Associate (研究员) in the field of Child Development and Human Relations.”
The clerk paused, ballpoint pen frozen in midair.
I repeated the title slowly, then I stared with wonder as my pronouncement (声明) was written in bold, black ink on the official questionnaire.
“Might I ask,” said the clerk with interest, “just what you do in your field?”
Coolly, without any trace of panic in my voice, I heard myself reply, “I have a continuing program of research (what mother doesn’t), in the laboratory and in the field (normally I would have said indoors and out). Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the humanities (any mother care to disagree?), and I often work 14 hours a day (24 is more like it). But the job is more challenging than most careers and the rewards are more of a satisfaction rather than just money.”
There was an increasing note of respect in the clerk’s voice as she completed the form, stood up, and showed me out.
As I drove into our driveway, buoyed up (激励) by my glamorous new career, I was greeted by my lab assistants – ages 13, 7, and 3.
Upstairs I could hear our new experimental model (a 6-month-old baby), in the child-development program, testing out a new vocal pattern.
I felt proud! I had gone on the official records as someone more distinguished and indispensable (不可缺少的) to mankind than “just another mother.”
Motherhood... What a glorious career! Especially when there’s a title on the door.
1.
How did the female clerk feel at first when the writer told her occupation?
A.
Cold-hearted.
B.
Open-minded.
C.
Puzzled.
D.
Interested.
2.
How many children does the writer have?
A.
3
B.
4
C.
7
D.
13
3.
Why did the woman clerk show more respect to the writer?
A.
Because she thought the writer did admirable work.
B.
Because the writer cared little about rewards.
C.
Because the writer did something that she had little knowledge of.
D.
Because she admired the writer's research work.
4.
What is the point of the article?
A.
To show that how you describe your job affects your feelings toward it.
B.
To show that the writer had a grander job than Emily.
C.
To argue that motherhood is a worthy career.
D.
To show that being a mother is hard and boring work.
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