A young girl called Ida in Sweden decided to travel to a place she hadn't seen for 22 years. She had a happy life until some kids asked, "Why don't you look like your mom?" Ida was sent to her adopted(收养) family in Sweden right after she was born. She really didn't know anything about her birthplace, Korea, except for some information she recently heard about her birthparents.

During her schooldays, she was often questioned about her looks. Ida considered herself a normal Swedish person. She tried to be part of the group in her school, but she found it hard. She was still seen as an outsider.

    As she grew older, she accepted(接受)who she  was. Still, she

wanted to find the missing piece of the puzzle (困惑). After finding out the place of her birthparents, Ida went to Korea in 2008. When she first arrived, she was surprised to see so many people who looked like her. However, apart from her looks, not much could be shared (分享) with others. She knew little about the culture, food, especially the language. Being in Korea wasn't always easy for her.

Perhaps Ida can never truly fit in either culture, but it's worth visiting her birthplace because she finally realized how special and different she is. She has two loving families, and most of all a better understanding of who she is. This helps her to have a positive view of her life.

1. Where was Ida born?

A. In Japan. B. In Sweden. C. In England.        D. In Korea.

2.Why was she seen as an outsider in Sweden?

A. Because of the culture. B. Because of her looks.

C. Because of the food. D. Because of the language.

3.What does the phrase "apart from" in Paragraph 3 mean?

A. except B. as for C. as well as D. besides

4.What can we learn from the passage?

A. Ida hadn't seen her birthparents for at least 22 years.

B. Ida found it easy for her to get used to living in Korea.

C. Ida still couldn't accept who she was after she went back to Sweden.

D. Ida realized she can't live a happy life either in Sweden or in Korea.

1 

Interested in Chinese calligraphy (书法) experiences? By joining our Beijing Tours Xi’an Tours or Guilin Tours, visitors can add Chinese calligraphy classes to the tour at, very reasonable prices.

Most of the big museums in China have calligraphy collections. See our Museums Tours.

For travelers who are interested in the history and culture of Chinese calligraphy, Museum of Chinese Characters in Anyang City, Henan Province is a good choice. The Stele Forest Museum in Xi’an City houses many works of famous ancient calligraphers as well as precious stone sculptures (雕塑).

Contact us for a tailor-made tour.

1.Where can we find this piece of writing?

A. In a story book.             B. In a textbook.

C. In a cookbook.           D. In a travel magazine.

2.What can we see in the Stele Forest Museum in Xi’an City?

A. Statue of ancient calligraphers.

B. Precious stone sculptures.

C. City houses

D. Famous workers.

The train started moving. It was packed with people of all ages. Most of them were working men and women and young college boys and girls. Near the window sat an old man with his son, who looked about thirty years old.

As the train moved, the son was filled with joy because he was very excited at the scenery outside. He said in a high voice, “See Dad, the green trees and the scenery are very beautiful!” It made the other people feel very strange. Everyone started talking in a low voice about the old man’s son. Suddenly, it started raining. Raindrops fell on the travelers through the open window. Seeing the rain, the old man’s son said happily, “See Dad, how beautiful the rain is!” Hearing these words, a young lady became angry with the man, as the raindrops were dropping on her new clothes. She couldn’t help shouting at the noisy son and his father.

“Can’t you see it is raining? You! Old man! If your son is not feeling well, get him to a mental hospital quickly and please don’t disturb us any more!” The old man’s face turned slightly red and then in a low voice, he replied, “We are on the way back from hospital. He was blind at birth. Only last week he can see again. The rain and the nature are new to him. Please forgive him.” All the other people became quiet.

1.How old was the old man’s son?

2.What did people think of the son’s behavior（行为）? They thought he was _________.

3.What was wrong with the son when he was born?

4.What do you think of the young lady?

5.According to the passage, what does the writer want to tell us?

Doctors Without Borders (国界)

    Chris is not a traditional explorer— he usually works in an office for a large organization. However, Chris' job can be just as exciting and dangerous as being an explorer.

Chris works for MSF, an organization also known as Doctors Without Borders. Since 1971, MSF has sent trained doctors all over the world to help people who have suffered from disasters (遭受灾难), such as wars and illnesses. Chris is a doctor from France who has traveled to many places to organize programs that help people.

At the moment,  over 27,000 trained doctors have taken part in MSF projects. The organization received the Nobel Peace _ Prize in 1999. All kinds of doctors can volunteer for MSF. They need to be ready to go almost anywhere in the world and, of course, they should face difficulties. Most of MSF's work is in Africa. When MSF chooses a doctor for a task, they have to go for at least six months. When doctors have completed a few tasks, they might be sent on an emergency(紧急的) task following a disaster, such as an earthquake.

    But why would doctors leave a comfortable life and a good pay to join MSF? According to Chris, the experience they have is a great help in their life. What's more, just like the explorers of the past, they need to keep an open mind and learn to get on well with the people they meet One thing that they can say at the end of any task is that they have made a real difference to people's lives.

1.What may MSF's work be like?

A. Tiring and boring. B. Exciting and dangerous.

C. Relaxing and colorful. D. Peaceful and comfortable.

2.As a volunteer doctor for MSF, he or she should_.

A. have worked in Africa for six months

B. have been sent on an emergency task

C. be ready to work for a task for at least half a year

D. have suffered from wars, illnesses or other disasters

3.Why would doctors like to join MSF?

A. Because they can get a good pay.

B. Because they can have a comfortable life.

C. Because they can help others and get experience.

D. Because they can travel abroad with their families.

4.What is the main idea of this passage?

A. Chris is a doctor who has organized programs to help people.

B. MSF received the Nobel Peace Prize for helping poor countries.

C. Volunteer doctors make a real difference to their own lives in MSF.

D MSF offers medical help to people who have suffered from disasters.

Cars are lots of fun, but they could also be dangerous. We have to be careful when we drive them or ride in them.

It's always a good idea to put on your seat belt when you're in a car. Why? Think about this example: You put an egg on a skateboard and give it a push. If the skateboard hits a stone, it will stop, but the egg won't. It will fly through the air, hit the ground and break.

Now, think what would happen if you tied the egg to the skateboard. When the skateboard hits a stone, the egg won't go flying; it will stay safely on the skateboard.

Volvo, a famous Swedish carmaker, was the first to use seat belts in 1849.

Air bags are also very important for car safety, because sometimes a seat belt isn't enough. If the car is going really fast and runs into something, seat belts could even hurt the people who wear them. Most new cars have air bags in front of and next to the seats. When a car hits something, its air bags will come out quickly in less than one second to keep the people inside safe.

1.The passage mainly tells us                  .

2.The writer gives the example of the egg to _.

3.Seat belts can make us safer because .

4.Air bags are important for cars because _.

5.Which of the following is TRUE according to this passage?