Miguel gathered his guitar and all the Ernesto de la Cruz albums he could carry and rushed down from the rooftop. His family surrounded him when he reached the yard.
Abuelita’s eyes darted from the guitar to the albums. “What is all this?” she said. “You keep secrets from your own family?”
“It’s all that time he spends in the plaza,” Tio Berto said.
“Fills his head with crazy fantasies,” Tia Gloria added.
“It’s not a fantasy (幻想)!” Miguel protested. He handed his father the old photograph of Mama Imelda, Coco, and the unidentified (未知身份的) man and pointed to the guitar. “That man was Ernesto de la Cruz! The greatest musician of all time!”
“We’ve never known anything about this man. But whoever he was, he still left his family,” Miguel’s father said. “This is no future for my son.”
“But, Papa, you told me to look to the ofrenda (灵坛). You said my family would guide me! Well, Ernesto de la Cruz is my family! I’m supposed to play music!”
“Never! That man’s music was a curse (诅咒)! I will not allow it!” Abuelita said, raising her voice.
“You will listen to your family. No more music,” added Miguel’s father.
“Just listen to me play – ” “End of argument,” Papa said.
Miguel thought they’d change their minds if they heard him play. He lifted his guitar and prepared to strum, but Abuelita snatched it from his hands. She pointed to the photo. “You want to end up like that man? Forgotten? Left off your family’s ofrenda?”
“I don’t care if I’m on some stupid ofrenda!” The words burst out before Miguel could stop them. He couldn’t take them back, even though he wanted to.
The family gasped. Abuelita’s brow hardened. She raised the guitar in the air.
“No!” Miguel cried.
“Mama,” Miguel’s dad said just as Abuelita smashed (撞击) the guitar against the ground.
“There! No guitar, no music,” she said.
The whole family was silent as Miguel stared at his guitar, shattered into a hundred pieces on the ground. Miguel couldn’t move — he felt like someone had smashed him to pieces.
1.Where would this passage most likely be found?
A.In a book of travel. B.In a history book.
C.In a book of nature. D.In a novel.
2.What does “it” in the passage refer to?
A.photograph B.guitar C.music D.curse
3.How did Miguel’s feelings change in the passage?
A.hopeful → hopeless B.excited → hopeful
C.hopeless → hopeful D.hopeful→ excited
4.Why did Miguel’s father say “This is no future for my son.”?
A.Because he thought his son Miguel was crazy about fantasies because of a curse.
B.Because he thought it impossible for Miguel to be a great musician like his hero.
C.Because he thought Miguel shouldn’t only dream for music after leaving his family.
D.Because he thought music couldn’t guide Miguel to a bright future instead of family.
Two little boys
Two little boys had two little toys Each had a wooden horse. Joyfully they played each summer’s day Soldiers (士兵) both, of course. Then Jack broke off his horse’s head, Sad for his toy, then cried with joy As his young friend Joe said: Did you think I would leave you crying When there’s room on my horse for two? Climb up here, Jack, and don’t be crying I can go just as fast with two When we grow up we’ll both be soldiers
And I wonder if we’l remember When we were two little boys. | Long years past, war came so _____ Bravely they marched away. Guns roared loud and in the mad crowd
Up goes a shout, a horse rushes out Out from the crowd, to where Joe lay Then came a voice he knew: Did you think I would leave you dying When there’s room on my horse for two? Climb up here, Joe, we’ll soon be flying I can go just as fast with two. Now we are both real soldiers And our horses are not toys And I remember When we were two little boys. |
1.What happened to Jack’s toy horse?
A.Its head was broken off. B.It was taken by soldiers.
C.It was broken by Joe. D.It was lost in the war.
2.The best word for the blank is .
A.fast B.hard C.slow D.quick
3.What is the song mainly about?
A.Dangerous war. B.Interesting games.
C.Pleasant summer. D.Valuable friendship.
If you travel by air across the center of Africa or South America, you fly over forests for thousands of kilometres．These great forests are the seas of trees．They are full of thousands and thousands of different kinds of plants and animals．However, the world's forests are getting smaller all the time．We are cutting down the trees because we need wood, and we need more farmland as well．Some people say that there will not be any forests like these left in 20 to 30 years．What will happen if they disappear? If we cut down our forests, a lot of plants and animals will disappear from the world, in a lot of places the new farmland will soon look like the old deserts, for example, crops will not grow there．What's worse, it will not rain very often, and the weather will get very hot．Perhaps the climate of the world will change, which will be dangerous for everyone in the world．That is why we must take care of our forests．
1.Which of the following has the closest meaning to the underlined word "deserts" in this passage?
A. Farmland．
B. Sands．
C. Green fields．
D. Villages．
2.The passage mainly tells us about ________．
A. the importance of taking care of our forests
B. why a lot of animals disappear
C. where the forests are
D. the reasons for forming the deserts
3.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Only Africa and South America are the oceans of trees．
B. Different plants can't be found in the same forest．
C. Forests are usually several square kilometres large．
D. Forests are homes to different kinds of animals．
Alex was a giraffe who lived in a zoo with his mum, dad and other giraffe friends. As Alex grew, he__________his neck was much shorter than the others’. He began to get________. But his mother told him that he was special. She said it did not matter how short or long his neck was.
Alex tried not to think about his short_________ But as his friends grew taller and taller, his neck__________short. Sometimes the other giraffes_________ him, but his parents told him not to worry. They said that he should be happy with himself the way he was. He tried, but he could not even play in some girafre sports. He was just too________.
One day, one of the zoo workers came and took Alex away. Alex was frightened. Would he have to leave the zoo just______he didn’t have a long neck? The zoo worker calmed Alex down and gave him some food. He felt better. Then he led Alex into another area of the zoo. There was a small__________between the two areas. Alex was the only giraffe that could fit through it.
Soon Alex’s parents came to see him. “I told you that you were special,” his mother said. “The zoo has made a place just for _________ because so many people want to see how special you are!” She was right. Visitors pointed to him and screamed________. They looked happy to see something so special at the zoo.
1.A. wondered B. found C. hoped D. agreed
2.A. powerful B. interested C. energetic D. worried
3.A. leg B. tail C. neck D. nose
4.A. stayed B. became C. turned D. felt
5.A. looked after B. fell behind C. laughed at D. heard of
6.A. tall B. short C. fat D. thin
7.A. after B. unless C. because D. before
8.A. cage B. hole C. window D. door
9.A. him B. you C. us D. me
10.A. excitedly B. angrily C. sadly D. heavily
—I made a mistake in counting the numbers and this led to a different result.
—_____________. You should be more careful.
A.Every dog has its day B.Like father, like son
C.A miss is as good as a mile D.Many hands make light work
— Could you help me carry the equipment to the basketball court, Robin?
— ______ I will do it at once.
A.Not at all. B.With pleasure. C.Wait a moment. D.Don't mention it.
