I used to believe in the American dream that meant a job, credit, success.I wanted it and worked toward it like everyone else, all of us separately chasing the same thing.

One year, through a series of unhappy events, it all fell apart.I found myself homeless and alone.I had my truck and $56.I searched the countryside for some place I could rent for the cheapest possible amount.I came upon a deserted cottage in a small remote valley.I hadn't been alone for 25 years.I was scared, but I hoped the hard work would distract and heal me.

I found the owner and rented the place for $50 a month.The locals knew nothing about me.But slowly they started teaching me the art of being a neighbor.They dropped off blankets, tools and canned deer meat and began sticking around to chat.They would ask if I wanted to meet cousin Albie or go fishing.They started to teach me a belief in a different American dream, not the one of individual achievement but of neighborliness.Men would stop by with wild berries, ice cream, truck parts to see if I was up for courting.I wasn't, but they were civil anyway.The women on that mountain worked harder than any I'd ever met.They taught me how to store food in the stream and keep it cold and safe.I learned to keep enough for an extra plate for company

What I had believed in, all those things I thought were necessary for a civilized life, were non-existent in this place.Up on the mountain, my most valuable possessions were my relationships with my neighbors.

After four years in that valley, I moved back into town.I saw a lot of people were having a really hard time, losing their jobs and homes.With the help of a real estate broker (房地产经纪人) I chatted up at the grocery store, I managed to rent a big enough house to take in a handful of people.It's four of us now, but over time I've had nine come in and move on to other places from here.We'd all be in shelters if we hadn't banded together.

The American dream I believe in now is a shared one.It's not so much about what I can get for myself; it's about how we can all get by together.

Before a series of unhappy events happened, the writer ____.

       A.had a well-paid job

       B.worked hard for his American dream

       C.worked hard and liked to share

       D.felt hopeless about his American dream

What does the underlined sentence "I learned to..." in Paragraph 3 most probably mean?

       A.The writer learned to run a company.

       B.The writer learned to share with others.

       C.The writer learned to keep enough plates.

       D.The writer learned to save money for his company.

Why did the writer rent a big house?

       A.To make some money.                B.To show off his wealth.

       C.To share with those people in need.     D.To make friends with his neighbors.

The writer mainly tells us about ____.

       A.his unhappy experiences                B.the friendly people in the valley

       C.the change of his living conditions     D.his new idea of the American dream

阅读下面短文,从每题所给的四个选项中,选出最佳答案。

Hi, dear boys and girls! Do you know how to be a healthy kid? Here are some rules you should follow.

First, eat different foods, especially fruit and vegetables. You may have a favorite food, but you'd better eat something different, if you eat different foods, you will probably get more nutrients (营养物质) your body needs.

Then, drink water and milk as often as possible. When you're really thirsty, cold water is the No. l choice. Milk is a great drink that can give you more calcium (钙) your body needs to grow strong bones .

Next, listen to your body. How do you feel when you are full? When you are eating, notice how your body feels and when your stomach feels comfortably full. Eating too much will not make you feel comfortable and make you fat.

Afterwards, limit (限制) screen time. Screen time is the time you watch TV, DVDs and videos, or using computers. It is good to take more exercise such as basketball, bike riding and swimming. You can't watch TV for more than two hours a day.

Finally, be active. One thing you'd like to do as a kid is to find out which activity you like best. Find ways to be active every day.

Follow these rules and you can be a healthy kid.

You have to eat different kinds of foods especially _________.

A. meat   B. hamburgers     C. sweets      D. fruit and vegetables 

Which kind of drinks can give you more calcium?

A. Juice.      B. Milk.    C. Cold water. D. Tea.

According to the passage, how many rules should you follow if you want to be healthy?

A. Five.        B. Nine.        C. Fifteen.   D. Thirteen.

According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?

A. When you're eating, you don't have to pay attention to how your body feels.

B. You can eat your favorite food as much as you can .

C. You can watch TV whenever you like to get more information.

D. We should try to live in an active way in our life.

Which is the best title of the passage?

A. How to make yourself popular        B. How to be a healthy kid

C. How to be a popular kid           D. How to make your parents healthy

阅读下面短文,从每题所给的四个选项中,选出最佳答案。

This year some twenty-three hundred teenagers(young people aged from13~19)from all over the world will spend about ten months in U.S. homes. They will attend U.S. schools, meet U.S. teenagers, and form impressions of the real America. At the same time, about thirteen hundred American teenagers will go to other countries to learn new languages and gain a new understanding of the rest of the world.

Here is a two-way student exchange in action. Fred, nineteen, spent last year in Germany with George’s family. In turn, George’s son Mike spent a year in Fred’s home in America.

Fred, a lively young man, knew little German when he arrived, but after two months’ study the language began to come to him. School was completely different from what he had expected—much harder. Students rose respectfully when the teacher entered the room. They took fourteen subjects instead of the six that are usual in the United States. There were almost no outside activities.

Family life, too, was different. The father’s word was law, and all activities were around the family rather than the individual. Fred found the food too simple at first. Also, he missed having a car.

“Back home, you pick up some friends in a car and go out and have a good time. In Germany, you walk, but you soon learn to like it.”

At the same time, in America, Mike, a friendly German boy, was also forming his idea. “I suppose I should criticize(批评)American schools,” he said. “It is far too easy by our level. But I have to say that I like it very much. In Germany we do nothing but study. Here we take part in many outside activities. I think that maybe your schools are better in training for citizens. There ought to be some middle ground between the two.”

This year ________teenagers will take part in the exchange programme between America and other countries.

twenty-three hundred

thirteen hundred

over three thousand

less than two thousand

The whole exchange programme is mainly to__________.

help teenagers in other countries know the real America

send students in America to travel in Germany

let students learn something about other countries

have teenagers learn new languages

Fred and Mike agree that__________.

America food tasted better than German food

German schools were harder than American schools

Americans and Germans were both friendly

There were more cars on the streets in America

What is particular in American schools is that________.

there is some middle ground between the two teaching buildings

there are a lot of after-school activities

students usually take fourteen subjects in all

students go outside to enjoy themselves in a car

On November 19, 1863, Abraham Lincoln went to Gettysburg to speak at the National Soldiers Cemetery(公墓). The Civil War was still going on. There was much criticism (批评) of President Lincoln at the time. He had been invited to speak at Gettysburg only out of politeness. The other speaker was to be Edward Everett, a famous statesman (政治家) and speaker of the day. Everett was a handsome man and very popular everywhere.

It is said that Lincoln prepared his speech on the train while going to Gettysburg. Later that night, alone in his hotel room and tired out, he again worked briefly on the speech. The next day Everett spoke first. His speech lasted an hour and 57 minutes and it was a perfect example of the day. Then Lincoln rose. The crowd of 15,000 people at first paid little attention to him. He spoke for only nine minutes. At the end there was little applause(掌声). Lincoln turned to a friend and said, “I have failed again.”

Some newspapers at first criticized (批评) the speech. But little by little, as people read the speech, they began to like its simplicity(简洁)and its deep meaning. It was a speech which only Abraham Lincoln could have made.

Now everyone thinks of it as one of the greatest speeches ever given in American history.

In 1863, Abraham Lincoln was __________________ in Gettysburg.

A. warmly welcomed       B. unpopular      C. greatly praised            D. very polite

Lincoln was invited to speak at the National Soldiers Cemetery because he was __________.

       A. a famous speaker of the day              B. very handsome and polite

       C. President of the United States at the time    D. a popular statesman

It can be inferred from the text that __________________________________.

       A. Lincoln had prepared his speech very carefully before he went to Gettysburg

       B. Lincoln was very busy at the time and didn’t have much time to prepare his speech

       C. Lincoln’s speech seemed to be a failure for the first time

       D. Lincoln’s speech was a little shorter than Everett’s one

Lincoln’s speech was __________________.

       A. an immediate success                          B. not accepted at all

       C. a total failure                                     D. not well-received at first

Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE?

       A. Lincoln’s speech has deep meaning though it is simple in style.

       B. Neither Lincoln’s speech nor Everett’s was popular then.

       C. Lincoln’s speech proved to be a great success later.

       D. Everett’s speech was thought to be perfect at that time.

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