While I was in 9th grade, I built a circuit (电路装置) for the traffic system of our city. After getting the first prize, I got this valuable advice from my father: “Do whatever interests you, and don’t let the work challenge you, make sure you are challenging that work.” 

I have always preferred the projects which are challenging and related to real life problems. I clearly remember building a shipping program several years ago. I divided the whole project into several small sections. When I understood it clearly, I used my brainstorming skill on it, and gave some basic ideas. Then I asked my professor for help before jumping into coding (编码). At first, I did not know how to ask questions correctly and always asked the question “How do I do it?” As I kept working and discussed with my professor, I became more comfortable and those “how” questions soon turned into “what if I do this and that” types of questions.

     It took me four days to write the code. The desire to solve the problem kept me sleepless all nights brainstorming in even greater details. Every time I saw my program running smoothly, I exploded with joy. I still remember the last day of my work. I was getting some problem and didn’t know what to do. At that moment, a man came in to clean. He had headphones, and he was dancing while cleaning the room. Seeing this, I burst out laughing. That moment calmed me. I regained energy and interest and started to work again, and soon I fixed the problem.　

    My success in the project proved that breaking up a large problem into small parts could help find a possible solution. Discussing the problem with others was also very beneficial. Now I have gained the confidence to attempt any kind of project.　

According to the passage, the writer was interested in ______.

  A. developing traffic systems          B. doing challenging projects

C. winning great prizes                 D. writing different codes

The writer asked the question “how do I do it” at first because ______.

A. he had no clear idea about his program   B. he was too shy to express himself

C. he wanted to be understood easily       D. he preferred this kind of question

We learn from the passage that the writer’s shipping program ______.

A. would benefit people a lot             B. was done together with others

C. was difficult and needed patience       D. cost much money and energy

What would be the best title for the passage?

A. Do It Yourself           B. No Pains, No Gains

C. Learning with Interest               D. Practice Makes Perfect

Language learning begins with listening. Children are greatly different in the amount of listening they do before they start speaking, and later starters are often long listeners. Most children will “obey” spoken instructions some time before they can speak, though the word “obey” is hardly accurate as a description of the eager and delighted cooperation usually shown by the child. Before they can speak, many children will also ask questions by gesture and by making questioning noises. Any attempt to study the development from the noises babies make to their first spoken words leads to considerable difficulties. It is agreed that they enjoy making noises, and that during the first few months one or two noises sort themselves as particularly expressive as delight, pain, friendliness, and so on. But since these can’t be said to show the baby’s intention to communicate, they can hardly be regarded as early forms of language. It is agreed, too, that from about three months they play with sounds for enjoyment, and that by six months they are able to add new words to their store. This self-imitation（模仿）leads on to deliberate（有意的）imitation of sounds made or words spoken to them by other people. The problem then arises as to the point at which one can say that these imitations can be considered as speech. It is a problem we need to get out. The meaning of a word depends on what a particular person means by it in a particular situation and it is clear that what a child means by a word will change as he gains more experience of the world .Thus the use at seven months of “mama” as a greeting for his mother cannot be dismissed as a meaningless sound simply because he also uses it at other times for his father, his dog, or anything else he likes. Playful and meaningless imitation of what other people say continues after the child has begun to speak for himself, I doubt, however whether anything is gained when parents take advantage of this ability in an attempt to teach new sounds.

. Before children start speaking，what is greatly different?________.

A. the amount of listening     

B. a number of listening

C. the sound of listening

D. the meaning of listening

starters are often long listeners, the sentence means one can ________.

A. be hard to speak fluently

B. begin to speak quickly

C. start with listening

D. often take a long time in learning to listen properly

these can not be said to show a baby’s intention to speak, these refer to  ________.

A. pain　　  B. happiness  C. Kindness   D. above of all

according to the writer, we can draw a conclusion that  ________.

A. children are fond of imitating

B. these imitation can be considered as speech

C. children get more experience of the world

D. children’s use  of  words are often meaningless

When a child is six months, he can  ________.

A. call his mama

B. imitate many languages

C. store new words

D. play with sounds

 

Tragedy at the Circus

In yesterday’s circus（马戏团）show, a tiger suddenly attacked its trainer and had to be shot dead. As the circus packed up and left, circus officials said the show would go on even without tigers.

However, the officials can’t simply turn a blind eye to the ethical problems left behind. Even before this tragedy(悲剧),animal rights activists protested against keeping wild animals in unnatural conditions and forcing them to suffer for the profit(利润)of circus organizers.

It is now time for us to take effective steps to make sure that circus animals are treated properly.

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Circus Safe for Animals

Our circus recently suffered a most tragic event in its history. While we are thankful for the pity from the public, we are also astonished by the opinion expressed in “Tragedy at the Circus.”

First, our performing animals are not taken from the wild. As to the ethical problems，we always believe humans and animals can—and should—live together nicely. To us, the performing animals are representatives of their species(物种),and our circus is one of the only places left willing to support this special role of performing animals in the existence of the species. Those who argue that circus life is harmful to animals show little knowledge of these facts. Life in the “wild” is unsafe, but a continuous struggle for existence. To overlook these reslities is the greatest fault against the animal kingdom.

This circus has proven that animals are stronger and smarter than we could imagine. Within the circus is a joyful atmosphere for both animals and humans: people are educated, and species saved.

1.What is the main purpose of the first passage?

    A. To show pity for the performing animals. 

B. To express worries about animal trainers' safety. 

C. To deal with the difficult situations of the circus.

D. To call for action to protect circus animals.

2.What will the circus most probably do?

A. Take no notice of the tragedy.

B. Continue its performances.

C. Use fewer wild animals.

D. Limit its profit.

3.What does the circus think of its performing animals?

A. They are as clever as human beings.

B. They struggle continuously with human beings for existence.

C. They are helpful in saving their species.

D. They have equally natural living conditions as wild animals.

4.What is the most probable relationship between the two passages?

A. A public request and a newspaper report.

　　B. A newspaper article and a reply to it.

C. Two parts of a newspaper article.

D. Two newspaper reports.