How I Turned to Be Optimistic

I began to grow up that winter night when my parents and I were returning from my aunt＇s house, and my mother said that we might soon be leaving for America. We were on the bus then. I was crying, and some people on the bus were turning around to look at me. I remember that I could not bear the thought of never hearing again the radio program for school children to which I listened every morning.

I do not remember myself crying for this reason again. In fact, I think I cried very little when I was saying goodbye to my friends and relatives. When we were leaving I thought about all the places I was going to see—the strange and magical places I had known only from books and pictures. The country I was leaving never to come back was hardly in my head then.

The four years that followed taught me the importance of optimism, but the idea did not come to me at once. For the first two years in New York I was really lost—having to study in three schools as a result of family moves. I did not quite know what I was or what I should be. Mother remarried, and things became even more complex for me. Some time passed before my stepfather and I got used to each other. I was often sad, and saw no end to “the hard times. ”

My responsibilities in the family increased a lot since I knew English better than everyone else at home. I wrote letters, filled out forms, translated at interviews with Immigration officers, took my grandparents to the doctor and translated there, and even discussed telephone bills with company representatives.

From my experiences I have learned one important rule: Almost all common troubles eventually go away! Something good is certain to happen in the end when you do not give up, and just wait a little! I believe that my life will turn out all right, even though it will not be that easy.

1.How did the author get to know America?

A．From her relatives                      B．From her mother

C．From Books and pictures                  D．From radio programs

2.Upon leaving for America the author felt       .

A．confused          B．excited           C．worried           D．amazed

3.What can we learn about the author from Paragraph 4?

A．She worked as a translator

B．She attended a lot of job interviews

C．She paid telephone bills for her family

D．She helped her family with her English

4.The author believes that      .

A．her future will be free from troubles

B．it is difficult to learn to become patient

C．there are more good things than bad things

D．good things will happen if one keeps trying

 

There is more to tourism in Britain than you might think.

When you think of tourist sites in Britain, what do you think of? Big Ben and the Tower of London? Lock Ness? Shakespeare’s birthplace at Strafford-upon-Avon? There are many famous tourist attractions in the UK and they attract millions of visitors each year. But along with the famous names there are thousands of other interesting places that are only open to the public for a few days each year. Heritage Open Days takes place each September and lets the public visit places that would normally be out of bounds. Among the thousands of historic sites there are castles and factories, town halls and churches. Here we look at some of the places that most tourists might not know about.

Roman Baths --- Chester

These Roman baths are almost two thousand years old and a fascinating insight into the history of the city but they aren’t often open to visitors because they are under a clothes shop and a shop that sells baked potatoes! In Open Days week, visitors can go downstairs to the basement of the shops and find a little piece of history.

Tennis Club --- Birmingham

Edgbaston Tennis Club opened in 1860 and is the oldest tennis club in the world. Visitors can see the club’s collection of tennis clothes and equipment and learn about the game’s rich history.

Ardman Animation --- Bristol

The studios that produced the famous Wallace and Gromit animated films open its doors to the public to let people find out more about how the films are made.

Paddock Wood --- Kent

A family house where some of the rooms are unchanged since the 1920s. The home’s owner, Sarah Hamilton, is happy to open her doors to the public, saying “I’m passionate about history and I love taking to people.”

These are just a few of the thousands of places to visit each year. If you’re visiting Britain in September ---- look out for Open Days!

1.Where is the Roman Baths --- Chester?

A．Next to a clothes shop.

B．Above a potato shop.

C．In Open Days week.

D．In a basement of two shops.

2.Which place might be most attractive to movie fans?

A．Paddock Wood --- Kent

B．Tennis Club --- Birmingham

C．Roman Baths --- Chester

D．Ardman Animation --- Bristol

3.What common things can tourists learn about at the four interesting places in the passage?

A．Collection.         B．Structure.         C．History.           D．Style

 

That year, in the local school, there was a new math teacher, as well as some new pupils. One of the new kids was the stupidest child that anyone had ever seen. It made no difference how quickly or how slowly they tried explaining numbers to him; he would always end up saying something enormously stupid. Like two plus two was five, seven times three was twenty-seven, or a triangle had thirty corners...

Before this boy arrived, math lessons had been the most boring of all. Now they were great fun. Encouraged by the new teacher, the children would listen to the pieces of nonsense spouted by the new kid, and they would have to correct his mistakes.

Whenever the new teacher asked questions, the stupid kid would stand up but made the wrong answers, the other students all wanted to be the first to find his mistakes, and then think up the most original ways to explain them. To do this they used all kinds of stuff: sweets, playing cards, oranges, paper planes, etc. It didn't seem like any of this bothered the new kid.

However，little Lewis was sure that it was bound to make him feel sad inside. Lewis was sure he would see him crying. So，one day, he decided to follow the new kid home after school. On leaving school, the new kid walked a few minutes to a local park, and there he waited for a while, until someone came along to meet him...

It was the new teacher!

The teacher gave the new kid a hug, and off they went, hand in hand. Following from a distance, Lewis could hear they were talking about math.

1.The math lessons became interesting because of the new teacher's ______.

A．creativity  B．imagination  C．responsibility  D．curiosity

2.The passage implies that the stupidest child ______.

A．was in great need of the math teacher's help after class

B．was by no means slow in math

C．had no gift for math and was slow to learn it

D．disliked both the new math teacher and his lessons

3.According to the passage, Lewis followed the stupid kid in order to ______.

A．learn about where he lived       B．find out if he felt upset

C．say something to comfort him    D．make friends with him

4.What does the underlined word “this” in the third paragraph refer to?

A．To find the new kid's mistakes.

B．To think up the most original ways to explain.

C．To use all kinds of stuff.       

D．To follow him home after school.

 

阅读短文，并按照题目要求用英语回答问题。

In college, Spring Break （春假）is usually associated with the beach, parties and sleepless nights, bringing about relaxation, free time and friends. Students who wish to spend their break doing something productive and rewarding, however, may choose to participate in the Alternative Break Program. It places college students in communities both at home and abroad.

The Program allows students to take part in various projects dealing with issues such as literacy （识字）, homelessness and the environment. It includes helping kids with their lessons, raising money for families in need and collecting data for environmental research.

The hope is that, by getting themselves involved in different environments, students will have the opportunity to learn about members of communities and broaden their view. In turn, they will incorporate (融合) their experiences and lessons learned into their own communities. In a word, the Program aims to encourage students to be active citizens and engage themselves in making a difference in society.

In the spring of 2006, about 36,000 students in the USA participated in the Alternative Break Program.

Samantha Giacobozzi, now director of the Program, has been on five alternative break trips herself, including trips to New Orleans, India and Dominican Republic. “I was a student who went on alternative break trips and had my life totally transformed by that experience,” she said. “Every year, we meet many students who have attended the Program. You can see changes in their life that are connected with their alternative break experiences.”

The Program began in 1991.Today, it has become increasingly popular with college students in the United States.

1.Who may choose to participate in the Alternative Break Program?(within                       10 words)

2.Wha is the aim of the Program?(within 15 words)

3.What is the meaning of the underlined word "transformed" in Paragraph 5?( 1 word)

4.What is Samantha's attitude toward the Program?(within 10 words)

5.If you take part in the Program, which project are you interested in? And why?(within 15 words)

 

 

The US government has started a website, Admongo, to help children think critically about the advertising aimed at them. It claims to provide visitors with an “aducation” through games and other entertainment.

A cartoon man dressed in old time pilot clothing greets visitors to Admongo. "Call me Haiz", he says upon arrival in a rocket ship that opens up with a crazy world inside it. Spacey dance music plays in the background as Haiz tells visitors that they need to learn about advertising.

Its inventors say eight to twelve years old is the age kids develop their critical thinking abilities. Kids that age are also a big market for advertisers.

The idea behind Admongo is to teach children three things: To identify the advertiser. To know what the advertiser is really saying. And to know what the advertisement is trying to get the child to do.

Children learn these things through a video game. They create their own game character. They can choose different skin colors, hair styles, eye and mouth shapes. Then they begin a trip through ad-land, where there are ads on buses and billboards. The players have to find all the marketing in the neighborhood before they can move on to the next level.

The Admongo game takes players inside a home, to the advertising studio and everywhere else ads can be found. It is a complete exploration of the world of marketing.

One such area is food marketing. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says it is a big business. The FTC estimates that food, drink and fast-food restaurants spent more than one and a half billion dollars on advertising to young people in 2009.

The FTC says children are important for three reasons. They buy products. They influence parents and caregivers to buy. And they are the future adult buyers of the products.

A recent study says most advertising aimed at children is for foods of the lowest nutritional value. First Lady Michelle Obama has said she would like to see advertisers marketing healthy foods for children.

1.What is the best title of the text?

A．A website aimed at children’s food         B．The cartoon guide named “Haiz”

C．An “aducation” website for children      D．A popular online video game

2.Why did the government start the website?

A．To advertise the video game for children.     B．To help children know about advertising.

C．To attract the biggest market of buyers.       D．To sell the products of its company.

3.What can players do in the website game?

A．Play video games during the trip.           B．Travel to a supermarket.

C．Eat in a fast-food restaurant.               D．Choose appearance for their character.

4.Children are important for advertising because they are

A．important for the society                  B．the most potential buyers

C．easily influenced by ads                  D．easily affected by poor products

5.According to Michelle Obama, lots of foods advertised for children are ________.

A．of low quality      B．yummy           C．of high nutrition    D．healthy