It’s such a happy-looking library, painted yellow, decorated with palm-tree stickers and sheltered from the Florida sun by its own roof. About the size of a microwave oven, it’s pedestrian-friendly, too, waiting for book lovers next to a sidewalk in Palm Beach country Estates, along the northern boundary of Palm Beach Gardens.
It’s a library built with love.
A year ago, shortly after Janey Henriksen saw a Brian Williams report about the Little Free Library organization, a Wisconsin-based nonprofit that aims to promote literacy and build a sense of community in a neighborhood by making books freely available, she announced to her family of four, “That’s what we’re going to do for our spring break!”
Son Austin, now a 10th-grader, didn’t see the point of building a library that resembles (像)a mailbox. But Janey insisted, and husband Peter unwillingly got to work. The 51-year-old owner of a ship supply company modified a small wooden house that he’d built years earlier for daughter Abbie’s toy horses, and made a door of glass.
After adding the library’s final touches (装点), the family hung a signboard on the front, instructing users to “take a book, return a book,” and making the Henriksen library, now one of several hundred like it nationwide and among more than 2,500 in the world, the only Little Free Library in Palm Beach County.
They stocked（贮存） it with 20 or so books they’d already read, a mix of science fiction, reference titles, novels and kids’ favorites. “I told them, keep in mind that you might not see it again,” said Janey, a stay-at-home mom.
Since then, the collection keeps replenishing (补充) itself, thanks to ongoing donations from borrowers. The library now gets an average of five visits a day.
The project’s best payoff, says Peter, are the thank-you notes left behind. “We had no idea in the beginning that it would be so popular.” (317 words)
1. The library was built __________.
A. by a ship supply company B. on the basis of toy horses
C. like a mailbox D. with glass
2. What can we infer about the signboard?
A. It was made by a user of the library.
B. It marked a final touch to the library.
C. It aimed at making the library last long.
D. It indicated the library was a family property.
3.The passage tells us that the users __________.
A. donate (捐)books to the library
B. get paid to collect books for the library
C. receive thank-you notes for using the library
D. visit the library over 5 times on average daily
Last night’s meteor(流星) shower left many people in the community dissatisfied and demanding answers. According to Gabe Rothsclild, Emerald Valley’s mayor, people gathered in the suburbs of the city, carrying heavy telescopes, expecting to watch the brightly burning meteors passing through the sky. What they found instead was a sky so brightened by the city’s lights that it darkened the light of the meteors passing overhead.
“My family was so frustrated,” admitted town resident Duane Cosby, “We wanted to make this an unforgettable family outing, but it turned out to be a huge disappointment. ”
Astronomers—scientists who study stars and planets—-have been complaining about this problem for decades. They say that light pollution prevents them from seeing objects in the sky that they could see quite easily in the past. They call on people and the government to take measures to fight against it.
There is yet a population besides professional and amateur star observers that suffers even more from light pollution. This population consists of birds, bats frogs, snakes, etc. For example, outdoor lighting severely affects migrating(迁徙的)birds. According to the International Dark-Sky Association. “100 million birds a year throughout North America die in crashes with lighted buildings and towers. ”
Countless more animals casualties(伤亡）result from the use of artificial lighting. Clearly, people enjoy the benefits of lighting their evenings, but some scientists think it can be harmful for humans, too. They worry that exposure to light while sleeping can increase person’s chances of getting cancer.
Emerald Valley is only one community that is becoming aware of the negative effects of light pollution. For years, Flagstaff,Arizona,has enforced lighting regulations in its city in order to assist astronomers at the Lowell Observatory. Similar efforts have been made worldwide, and a movement is underway to remind us to turn off lights when we are not using them, so that other creatures can share the night.
1. What is the author concerned about according to Paragraph 4?
A. Birds may take other migration paths
B. Animals’ living habits may change suddenly
C. Varieties of animals will become sharply reduced
D. Animals’ survival is threatened by outdoor lighting
2.Lighting regulations in Flagstaff, Arizona are put into effect to
A. Lessen the chance of getting cancer
B. create an ideal observation condition
C. ensure citizens a good sleep at night
D. enable all creatures to live in harmony
3. What message does the author most want to give us?
A. Saving wildlife is saving ourselves
B. Great efforts should be made to save energy
C. Human activities should be environmentally friendly
D. New equipment should be introduced for space study
Jimmy is an automotive mechanic, but he lost his job a few months ago. He has a good heart, but always feared applying for a new job.
One day, he gathered up all his strength and decided to attend a job interview. His appointment was at 10 am and it was already 8:30. While waiting for a bus to the office where he was supposed to be interviewed, he saw an elderly man wildly kicking the tyre of his car. Obviously there was something wrong with the car. Jimmy immediately went up to lend him a hand. When Jimmy finished working on the car, the old man asked him how much he should pay for the service. Jimmy said there was no need to pay him; he just helped someone in need, and he had to rush for an interview. Then the old man said, “Well, I could take you to the office for your interview. It’s the least I could do. Please. I insist.” Jimmy agreed.
Upon arrival, Jimmy found a long line of applicants waiting to be interviewed. Jimmy still had some grease(油垢) on him after the car repair, but he did not have much time to wash it off or have a change of shirt. One by one, the applicants left the interviewer’s office with disappointed look on their faces. Finally his name was called. The interviewer was sitting on a large chair facing the office window. Rocking the chair back and forth, he asked, “Do you really need to be interviewed?” Jimmy’s heart sank. “With the way I look now, how could I possibly pass this interview?” he thought to himself.
Then the interviewer turned the chair and to Jimmy’s surprise, it was the old man he helped earlier in the morning. It turned out he was the General Manager of the company.
“Sorry I had to keep you waiting, but I was pretty sure I made the right decision to have you as part of our workforce before you even stepped into the office. I just know you’d be a trustworthy worker. Congratulations!” Jimmy sat down and they shared a cup of well-deserved coffee as he landed himself a new job.
1.Why did Jimmy apply for a new job?
A. He was out of work
B. He was bored with his job
C. He wanted a higher position
D. He hoped to find a better boss
2. What did Jimmy see on the way to the interview?
A. A friend’s car had a flat tire
B. a wild man was pushing a car
C. a terrible accident happened
D. an old man’s car broke down
3.How did Jimmy feel on hearing the interviewer’s question?
A. He was sorry for the other applicants
B. There was no hope for him to get the job
C. He regretted helping the old man
D. The interviewer was very rude
4. A. What can we learn from Jimmy’s experience？
A. Where there is a will, there’s a way
B. A friend in need is a friend indeed
C. Good is rewarded with good.
D. Two heads are better than one
I had once helped a friend of mine run a watermelon stall. I noticed something interesting. Almost every buyer would lift the melon up to their ear，smartly tap it, apparently trying to listen to something. I wondered what they expected to hear.
Finally I could no longer hold back my curiosity and made bold to ask a customer—an elderly gentleman—about this. Hearing my question，he roared with laughter. Then he replied in a selfmocking(自嘲)tone.“Young lady，I have been doing this for more than fifty years. All I know is that everybody would stare at you as if you were a fool if you just pick up the melon and leave！”
Not long after that，my watermelon stall friend unexpectedly sent me an invitation for her wedding，which really surprised me. I asked her, “How come you are seized by a sudden desire to get married? I don't remember ever hearing you mention that yon've got a boyfriend.” She answered while counting money，“Everyone has to get married anyway，so it is better to get married sooner than later.”
I could think of no word to refute(反驳)her. It seems that everybody is living for everybody else and has forgotten the need of their own heart. It may be safe and save a lot of worries by following others' suit in doing things. The use of We or Us will give one a steady and sure sense of pride. But using the pronoun “I” would often give one a guilty conscience.
I find all these things somewhat funny. We have got used to taking cue from(模仿) others and follow their suit. In turn，we also take it for granted that we should judge the right and wrong of others by our own standard. As a matter of fact，this massive practice is still wrong though we all follow others' suit like this, but we feel at ease and, justified simply because this is the way of us, and so we can have an easy conscience because this has been practiced by so many people.
1.The writer probably feels that it is ________.
A．necessary for the buyer to tap the watermelon
B．foolish of the buyers to buy watermelon without tapping it
C．funny that the buyers will tap the watermelons when buying them
D．wise of the elderly gentleman to tap watermelons before buy them
2.The writer uses the example of her friend's decision of getting married to show that ________.
A．her friend took no account of others's feeling
B．her friend decided to marry just to follow the crowd
C．her friend was a person who has strong personality
D．everybody in the world should marry for others
3.Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A．It may be safe to follow others' suit in doing things.
B．I was surprised to receive my friend's invitation for her wedding.
C．My experience of helping my friend run a watermelon stall was interesting.
D．The use of We or I will give speakers themselves quite different senses.
4.Which word can replace the underlined word“justified”in the last paragraph?
A．Reasonable. B．Embarrassed. C．Ashamed. D．Nervous.
5.In which section of a magazine can you read the passage?
A．Art and Life B．Sport and Health
C．Culture and Society D．Science and Technology
I used to believe in the American Dream, which meant a job, a mortgage (按揭), credit cards, success. I wanted it and worked toward it like everyone else, all of us chasing the same thing.
One year, through a series of unhappy events, it all fell . I found myself homeless and alone. I had my truck and $56. I the countryside for some place I could rent for the possible amount. I came upon a shabby house four miles up a winding mountain road the Potomac River in West Virginia. It was , full of broken glass and rubbish. I found the owner ,rented it, and a corner to camp in.
The locals knew nothing about me, slowly, they started teaching me the of being a neighbor. They dropped off blankets, candles, and tools, and began to chat. They started to teach me a belief in a American Dream—not the one of individual achievement but of .
What I had believed in, all those things I thought were for a civilized life, were nonexistent in this place. on the mountain, my most valuable possessions were my with my neighbors.
Four years later, I moved back into . I saw many people were having a really hard time, their jobs and homes. I managed to rent a big enough house to a handful of people .There are four of us now in the house, but over time I’ve had nine people come in and move on to other places. We’d all be in if we hadn’t banded together.（团结起来）
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 we can all get by together.
1.A. equally B. separately C. violently D. naturally
2.A. off B. over C. apart D. out
3.A. searched B. left C. toured D. crossed
4.A. cheapest B. largest C. fairest D. fullest
5.A. at B. through C. over D. round
6.A. occupied B. abandoned C. emptied D. robbed
7.A. turned B. approached C. cut D. cleared
8.A. but B. although C. otherwise D. for
9.A. benefit B. lesson C. nature D. art
10.A. looking B. staying C. swinging D. turning
11.A. wild B. real C. different D. remote
12.A. neighborliness B. happiness C. friendliness D. kindness
13.A. unique B. expensive C. rare D. necessary
14.A. Down B. Up C. Deep D. Along
15.A. cooperation B. relationships C. satisfaction D. appointments
16.A. reality B. society C. town D. life
17.A. creating B. losing C. quitting D. offering
18.A. put in B. turn in C. take in D. get in
19.A. yards B. shelters C. camps D. cottages
20.A. when B. what C. whether D. how
The president of the World Bank says he has a passion for China , , he remembers starting as early as his childhood.
A. where B. which C. what D. when
