I was born and raised in the shadow of the Capitol(美国国会大厦), in Washington, D.C., as were my parents and my mother’s parents.

Our row house was on a tree-lined street just blocks from the building that was the heart of the federal legislative branch. When I was a child, in the 1940s, friends and I would pack a lunch or ride a streetcar to the Capitol. If we roller-skated, we hid the skates in the bushes in the park across the street before entering the building.

I knew every corner of the Capitol. We’d play hide-and-seek and pretend we saw ghosts in the halls and stairways. I don’t know how we got away with it. I remember the beautiful ladies’ rooms, with their marble floors and sinks. I pretended that I was a fine lady in them.

In those days, you could walk around the Capitol dome(圆顶屋), which was a little scary for me. I loved the wonderful paintings and statues and the subway rides to the Senate Office Building. It was like an amusement ride. I even used to sit in the gallery of the U.S. House of Representatives—until I became bored with all the talk and went on another adventure.

Whenever I ran up the steps to the huge bronze doors of the Rotunda, I would look back to the world below like a hero. As soon as the doors were opened, the sense of history surrounded me, and I knew it was someplace special.

Those were lucky days, when an American citizen could wander in the Capitol and be a part of history.

Once war was declared, some things changed in the nation’s capital. Because of concerns that Washington might be attacked, as London had been, everyone prepared. Kids at my elementary school wore dog tags, and each of us was fingerprinted.

My father, a pipe worker, became a civil defense warden(民防队员). During an air-raid(空袭), his job was to turn off any leaking gas. Since he always had a cigarette in his mouth, maybe that was not a good choice, but he had a gas mask and flashlight hanging in the rafters of our basement. The mask looked like a monster in the ceiling. My 15-year-old brother was a junior civil defense warden. During air-raid drills, he knocked on doors and asked people to put out their lights. I remember huge searchlights that crisscrossed the skies during the drills, looking for enemy planes.

What can we infer from the passage?

A. The writer attended the meeting in House of Representative.

B. The writer’s family lived in Washington D.C. for generations.

C. American citizen, except children, could never enter the Capitol.

D. The writer’s father had a gas mask to prevent him from smoking.

When the writer said “I was born and raised in the shadow of the Capitol” (1st paragraph),    she most probably meant that ________.

A. she spent her childhood in an area near the Capitol

B. she grew up under the pressure of the Capitol

C. the Capitol had some bad influence on my childhood

D. she was born and brought up secretly in the Capitol

By telling the childhood experience, the passage suggests that ________.

A. London was attacked during the war, as well as Washington

B. the writer is a daughter of a member of Representatives

C. the writer’s father and brother joined the army during the war

D. the Capitol used to be open to the public in history

What is the writer’s attitude towards the things that changed in the nation’s capital?

A. neutral                     B. positive             C. negative D. ironic

Here is a true story about a famous man who worked in the White House and a criminal. They once faced the same thing: their mother gave them apples when they were young.
The criminal said: one day, my mother brought some apples and asked my brother and me: “Which do you want?” “The reddest and biggest one,” my little brother said. My mother stared at him and said to him angrily: “You should learn to give the good things to others; you shouldn’t always think of yourself.” Seeing this, I suddenly changed my idea and then said to my mother: “Mum, please give me the smaller one and give the bigger one to my little brother.” Hearing my words, my mother was very happy. She kissed me on my face and gave the reddest and biggest apple to me as a prize. From then on, I learned to tell lies, fight, steal and rob. In order to get what I wanted, I played hard. As a result, I was sent into prison.
The famous man from the White House said: One day, my mother brought some apples. She said to my brother and me: “You all want the reddest and biggest one, right? Well, let’s have a competition. Now I divided the grassland in front of the gate into two and I will give one to each of you and you must shear(修剪) it well. And I will give the reddest and biggest apple to him who does it the most quickly and best.”
After the competition, I won and I got the biggest apple. In our family, as long as you want to get the best things, you must take part in competition. I think it is fair. No matter what you want, you must pay lots of efforts.
【小题1】The criminal got the reddest and biggest apple because      .

A.he told the truth that he wanted a smaller one
B.he knew how to make his mother happy from her answer
C.elder brother should of course have the bigger one
D.his mother loved him more than she loved the younger brother
【小题2】We can conclude from the passage that      .
A.it’s wrong to ask children to choose apples when they are not old enough
B.it’s important to make children aware that no matter what they want, they must pay work
C.it’s wrong to ask children not to always think of themselves
D.it’s always necessary to have a competition when we give children apple
【小题3】The writer tells the story by      .
A.organizing it in the order of time
B.making a comparison between two men
C.providing some scientific information
D.describing it in the order of space
【小题4】It is implied in the passage that      .
A.we should always try to win competitions which can bring us a lot
B.in order to get what we want, we should play hard
C.a mother’s educational method has a great influence on a child’s growing
D.giving children apples will lead them to become criminals

Little did I know that I was about to see something I would never forget at the Kentucky Association of School Administrators.

They introduced the young musician---Mr Patrick Henry Hughes. He was rolled onto the stage in his wheelchair and began to play the piano. His fingers danced across the keys as he made beautiful music.

About ten minutes into Patrick’s performance, someone came on the stage and said, “I’d like to share a seven-minute video about Patrick Hughes.” Then the lights were turned down.

Patrick Henry Hughes was born with no eyes and a tightening of the joints(关节), which left him disabled for life. However, he was fitted with artificial eyes and placed in a wheelchair. Before his first birthday, he discovered the piano. His mom said, “I could hit any note on the piano, and within one or two tries, he’d get it.” By his second birthday, he was playing records people asked for. His father was ecstatic. “We might not play baseball, but we can play music together.”

Today, Patrick is a junior. His father attends classes with him and he’s made nearly all A’s. He’s also a part of a 214-member marching band(游乐乐队). He’s a blind, wheelchair-bound trumpet player; he and his father do it together. In order to attend Patrick’s classes and every band practice, his father works the night shift(夜班) at United Parcel Service. Patrick says, “My dad’s my hero.”

On stage, between songs, Patrick talked to the audience about his life and about how blessed he was, “God made me blind and unable to walk. BIG DEAL! He gave me musical gifts and the great opportunity to meet new people.”

When his performance was over, the crowd rose to their feet and cheered for over five minutes.

1.The underlined word “ecstatic” could be replaced by “_________”.

A. relaxed    B. disappointed    C. anxious    D. delighted

2.What do we know about Patrick’s father?

A. He taught Patrick to play the piano.

B. He does part-time jobs in the daytime.

C. He accompanies Patrick in class and practice.

D. He expects Patrick to become a famous musician.

3.We know from the text that Patrick Henry Hughes ______________.

A. began to play the piano at age two

B. is in charge of a marching band

C. is now a high school student

D. admires his father greatly.

4.The story of Patrick Henry Hughes mainly teaches us to _______________.

A. develop an interest in music

B. be grateful for what we have

C. be ready to help people in trouble

D. work hard to achieve great success

 

Here is a true story about a famous man who worked in the White House and a criminal. They once faced the same thing: their mother gave them apples when they were young.

The criminal said: one day, my mother brought some apples and asked my brother and me: “Which do you want?” “The reddest and biggest one,” my little brother said. My mother stared at him and said to him angrily: “You should learn to give the good things to others; you shouldn’t always think of yourself.” Seeing this, I suddenly changed my idea and then said to my mother: “Mum, please give me the smaller one and give the bigger one to my little brother.” Hearing my words, my mother was very happy. She kissed me on my face and gave the reddest and biggest apple to me as a prize. From then on, I learned to tell lies, fight, steal and rob. In order to get what I wanted, I played hard. As a result, I was sent into prison.

The famous man from the White House said: One day, my mother brought some apples. She said to my brother and me: “You all want the reddest and biggest one, right? Well, let’s have a competition. Now I divided the grassland in front of the gate into two and I will give one to each of you and you must shear(修剪) it well. And I will give the reddest and biggest apple to him who does it the most quickly and best.”

After the competition, I won and I got the biggest apple. In our family, as long as you want to get the best things, you must take part in competition. I think it is fair. No matter what you want, you must pay lots of efforts.

1.The criminal got the reddest and biggest apple because      .

A. he told the truth that he wanted a smaller one

B. he knew how to make his mother happy from her answer

C. elder brother should of course have the bigger one

D. his mother loved him more than she loved the younger brother

2.We can conclude from the passage that      .

A. it’s wrong to ask children to choose apples when they are not old enough

B. it’s important to make children aware that no matter what they want, they must pay work

C. it’s wrong to ask children not to always think of themselves

D. it’s always necessary to have a competition when we give children apple

3.The writer tells the story by      .

A. organizing it in the order of time

B. making a comparison between two men

C. providing some scientific information

D. describing it in the order of space

4.It is implied in the passage that      .

A. we should always try to win competitions which can bring us a lot

B. in order to get what we want, we should play hard

C. a mother’s educational method has a great influence on a child’s growing

D. giving children apples will lead them to become criminals

 

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