Jane slammed the door of the log cabin (小木屋) raced toward the Indiana woods. Mother and Father insited that Jane go to school and learn to read. It was September of 1825, and Jane wanted to help on the farm like her brothers. Therefore, she told her parents “No!” and refused to learn to read.
Jane scooped (捧起) up her long skirts and splashed (溅起水花) through a small stream. Running helped her collect her thoughts, so she ran for what seemed like hours. She dashed around a tree and wasn’t paying attention. As a result, she tripped (绊倒) over a pair of long legs stretched out in the grass.
The legs belonged to her neighbor, Abe Lincoln. Abe was leaning (斜靠) against a tree reading a book. He smiled, stood up, and extended his arm to help Jane up.
Jane recognized Abe and knew what a hard-worker he was. But she also heard he was not like the other sixteen-year-old boys in Perry County. Abe was different because he spent all of his spare time reading books.
“Why are you running so fast?” Abe asked. “Are you hurt?”
Jane frowned (皱眉). “No, I’m all right,” she said. “I’m running because I’m upset. My parents want me to learn to read, and I told them no!”
Abe looked down at his book and then at Jane. “Reading can change your life,” he said quietly. Meet me here tomorrow, and I’ll prove to you how important reading is.”
Jane met Abe the next afternoon. He showed her a book about George Washington. One of his favourite teachers had donated it to him, and he had read it many times.
Abe began to read aloud while Jane listened carefully. He read about Washington and what a great leader he was. He read about Washington’s courage and bravery.
“Someday I want to be as courageous as George Washington,” said Abe proudly. “Someday I will be president of the United States, too.”
“I believe you will make a great president,” said Jane. “Look at what a good leader you are now. You’ve completely changed my mind about reading!”
Years later, Jane opened her newspaper and read the good news. Her friend, Abe Lincoln, had an elected President of the United States. She smiled and thought about the day she tripped over long legs. That was the day that changed her life.
1.Instead of going to school, Jane preferred to _______.
A.teach herself by reading books B.run through the Indiana woods
C.give a helping hand to her family D.play with her neighbor Abe Lincoln
2.Jane changed her mind about reading, because ______.
A.Abe shared the book and thoughts B.Abe’s teacher donated a book
C.Jane’s parents forced her to study D.Jane tripped over Abe’s long legs
3.From the passage, we can see Abe is _______.
A.strict and quiet B.generous and creative
C.confident and humorous D.helpful and hard-working
4.The passage is probably from ______.
A.a novel B.a guide C.a poem D.an advertisement
In the past you could draw anything you wanted on a computer screen and then printed it out on a piece of paper—a flat piece of paper. But imagine being able to print something that is three-dimensional— 3D. Would you like to design an object, such as a cup or a toy, and then “print” it out? Well, there is the technology to help you do this—to produce even a whole house!
3D printers might be the size of a suitcase, or even a small room, depending on the object they are made to produce. You make a 3D design on your computer and send it to the printer. Inside the machine, the object you have designed is made as one object.
So how is this being used? In medicine, 3D printing is often used to make heath. The dential takes a 3D image, something like a photo of the real tooth and a new one is printed in that exact shape. Then you might also want to print a mobile phone cover or a special pair of shoes.
Scientists are taking this even further. They have made a bicycle that just needs a chain and two lyres (轮胎). Car pans (壳) have been made for a while and now they are even making a body of a whole car!
But imagine how printing a whole house might help people build houses. A Chinese company has made houses using a giant 3D printer. They use a mixture that includes concrete (混凝土) and recycled building waste. This is a good thing as it helps the environment. They believe that their method of printing houses is cheaper, faster, less dusty and less noisy than the ordinary(普通的) way that houses are built.
It seems that 3D printing technology will change our world, and China is leading the way.
1.The size of a 3D printer might be ______ according to the object they design.
A.changeable B.always small C.seldom big D.the same
2.In medicine, 3D printing is often used to print ______ in the exact shapes.
A.dentists B.teeth C.photos D.mobile phone covers
3.Scientists are taking this even further. Here “this” probably means ______.
A.a pair of shoes B.a whole car C.a new bicycle D.the printing
4.The passage is mainly about ______.
A.the introduction to 3D technology B.the advantages of 3D technology
C.the history of 3D technology D.the influence of 3D technology
On March 14, math and science lovers around the world celebrated a special day: Pi Day.
Pi is equal to about 3.14, but the number goes on endlessly. It is sometimes written in Green π. With the help of computers, mathematicians (数学家) have been able to calculate (计算) pi out to over a trillion (万亿) decimal (小数的) places, but there is still no end to the number. This makes pi confusing, even for the most famous scientists and mathematicians.
Pi Day is celebrated around the world on March 14, since how we write this date, 3/14, looks just like the number pi.
For some people, the appeal (感染力) of Pi Day goes far beyond math and science. Pi shows up throughout popular culture. You can see it in movies, comics, music and more. “In modern movies, any time the filmmaker wants to produce a sense of mystery, often the symbol pi is used,” says David Blatner, Jewish American writer of the Joy of Pi.
People also love trying to memorize the digits (数学) of pi and competing against others to see who can remember the most. Many teachers hold class contests to see how many numbers their students can memorize. The Gummess World Record for reciting the most digits of pi is held by Li Chao of China, who successfully recited pi put to nearly 67,890 decimal places.
Above all, Pi Day is about having fun with the number. People celebrate Pi Day by eating or throwing pie and with fun pi-related games and activities. This year, Princeton, new Jersey, held a Pi Event” where people walked 3.14 miles together. Just like the number itself, the possibilities for Pi Day are truly endless.
1.From the first two paragraphs, we know that ______.
A.Pi Day is on March 15 B.the number of Pi is endless
C.it’s a day just for mathematicians D.mathematicians are able to calculate pi out
2.In modern movies, the symbol pi is often used to ______.
A.represent maths and science B.describe something mysterious
C.remind us of movies and comics D.show popular cultures around the world
3.People compete against others about pi by ______.
A.eating as many pies as possible B.going for a hike for 3.14 miles.
C.remembering the most digits of pi. D.holding a birthday party for Albert Einstein
4.When people celebrate Pi Day, they may feel ______.
A.crazy B.confused C.nervous D.cheerful
The Reason I Won’t Be Coming Writer: Elliot Perlman List Price: $24.95 Pages: 288 Publisher: Riverhead Hardcover ISBN: 573223212 The nine smart, thoughtful stories in this collection tell hopes, fears, and desires. |
Bag the Elephant: How to Win and Keep Big Customers Writer: Steve Kaplan List Price: $19.95 Pages: 208 Publisher: Bard Press ISBN: 1885167628 Bag the Elephant is more than a strategy book. Throughout the book you’ll find stories that show you how to put the strategy to work. |
A Long Way Gone: Memories of Boy Solider Writer: Ishmael Beah List Price: $22.00 Pages: 240 Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux ISBN: 0374105235 Ishmael Beah is one of many African children forced into local conflicts as boy soldiers. A Long Way Gone is his true life story. |
1.How much will you pay for the book written by Steve Kaplan?
A.$24.95 B.$22.00 C.$19.95 D.$9.97
2.You can read nine smart, thoughtful stories from the book ______.
A.Bag the Elephant B.A Long Way Gone
C.Christmas Letters D.The Reason I Won’t Be Coming
3.A Long Way Gone tells ______.
A.a new romantic love story B.memories of a boy solider
C.hopes, fears, and desires D.some ways to win customers
Walking down the street, you notice the plain, boring walls on either side. As you______ walking, the wall begins to look more colorful, and feels more alive. A black line of paint curves (弯曲而行) on the wall,______ turning into a colorful smiling cat－the line was the ______. This is a good example of graffiti (涂鸦) art.
Graffiti art is drawings and writing that are painted onto walls, usually in public spaces.______ it’s simple to do, graffiti has been around for centuries, with drawings being found on______ buildings.
But modern graffiti was born out of the 1980s hip-hop culture, mainly in New York. With its growth throughout the years, it has now ______ popular culture. Graffiti can be seen in galleries(画廊) around the world, next to other______. Modern graffiti has young roots, so it attracts young artists and fans.
However, there are ______ on graffiti in most countries. You must have permission (批准)from the ______of the wall before painting on it. If not, you may face a big fine._____, some cities have graffiti walls, or zones, where people can express their artistic vision freely. Berlin, Germany, is home to a lot of graffiti. It’s often called the graffiti capital of the world. Writing and drawings decorate the old city walls like an outdoor art gallery.
1.A.stop B.continue C.go D.start
2.A.suddenly B.mainly C.hopefully D.properly
3.A.paw B.ear C.mouth D.tail
4.A.Although B.because C.If D.Unless
5.A.modern B.beautiful C.ancient D.broken
6.A.entered B.won C.came D.considered
7.A.walls B.artworks C.flowers D.lights
8.A.suggestions B.activities C.laws D.courses
9.A.artist B.police C.fan D.owner
10.A.Instead B.Moreover C.Otherwise D.Besides
Read the quotation (引文) of Lao Tzu and find out it will be useful for someone who wants to ______.
Lao Tzu Chinese Sage “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
A.travel abroad but thinks he or she is too old to travel
B.study abroad but is afraid to live in a foreign country
C.take part in an activity but has little time for it
D.learn another language but can’t speak one word yet
