Eighteen-year-old Dana Kiger is happily running after balls on the soccer field. But not long ago, she couldn’t remember her love of the game, her parents’ faces or even her name.
At 16, the Tennessee honor student and star athlete was hit from behind while playing in a soccer game. She fell to the ground, her head striking the hard ground. The blow knocked out nearly all of Kiger’s memories.
With no physical(身体的) injury or unusual change in her brain, doctors thought Kiger’s memory would return in a few days. But it did not. And two and a half years later, it still hasn’t. Kiger—who has no memory of her family, her childhood or her life before her injury—has had to create new memories, restart relationships and relearn old skills.
“The only thing I had …I could walk, write, but I didn’t know what to write,” Kiger said of the days after the accident. “Physically, I was OK, I guess, but mentally(精神上) I was troubled.” Doctors say long-term amnesia(健忘症) brought on by a less severe brain injury like Kiger’s is unusual. “It’s very rare for people to have this lasting problem with memory recovering,” said Dr Roger Hartl at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Kiger’s parents tried to help their daughter return to the life she once lived. “She didn’t know what food was,” Kiger’s mom said. “She said, ‘What is that?’ I said, ‘Lettuce.” She said, ‘Do I like it?’ I said, ‘That’s up to you to decide.’”
Kiger’s natural ability on the soccer field was the one part of her earlier life that died immediately. And soon, she’ll begin a new life at Slippery Rock University, where she plans to study physical therapy(治疗). Kiger said that while parts of her past still remain a mystery, she’s focused(集中于) on what’s to come. “It is about my future,” she said.
1.What would be the best title for this text?
A. Parents Worried about Child’s Injury
B. Soccer Injury Wipeed Out Teen’s Memory
C. Teen Suffered from Bad Memory
D. Doctors Helped Teen Recreate Memories
2.The second paragraph is mainly written to .
A. show Kiger was an excellent athlete
B. introduce Kiger’s school performance
C. remind students of being careful in sports
D. explain the cause of Kiger’s losing memory
3.According to the doctors, the case of Kiger is .
A. natural B. frightening
C. surprising D. common
4.From the dialogue between Kiger and her mother, we can infer that .
A. life was new to Kiger
B. her family were united
C. her mother was positive
D. Kiger liked eating lettuce
5.According to the text, which of the following is TRUE of Kiger?
A. Now she appears on the soccer field again.
B. She has recovered from her physical injury.
C. At age 16, she began showing interest in soccer.
D. She will explore her past memories in college.
In most languages, a greeting is usually followed by “small talk”. Small talk means the little things we talk about at the start of a conversation. In English-speaking countries people often make small talk about the weather. “Nice day, isn’t it?” “Terrible weather, isn’t it?”. But there is something special about small talk. It must be about something which both people have the same opinion about. The purpose of small talk is to let both people agree on something. This makes meeting people easier and more comfortable. People usually agree about the weather, so it is a safe topic for small talk. But people often disagree about religion(宗教)or politics so these are not suitable topics for small talk in English. The topics for small talk also depend on where the conversation is taking place. At football matches, people make small talk about the game they are watching: “A great game, isn’t it?” At bus-stops, people may talk about the transport system(体制): “The bus service is terrible, isn’t it?”
Greetings and small talk are an important part of conversation in any language. The way people greet each other and the things they talk about, however, may be different from one language to another. This shows that there is much more to learn when we learn a language than just the vocabulary and the grammar of the language. We also have to learn the social behavior of the people who speak it.
1.Small talk is .
A. what people disagree about a topic
B. a kind of talk show using short words
C. a greeting when people meet each other
D. what we talk about to start a conversation
2.Which of the following is a good topic for small talk?
A. Politics. B. Income.
C. Weather. D. Religion.
3.The passage suggests that when we learn a language, .
A. we should understand the importance of the language
B. it’s necessary to learn about the culture of the country
C. we should learn about the transport system of the country
D. it’s enough to grasp the grammar and vocabulary of the language
4.When we say “A great game, isn’t it?” we in fact .
A. ask a question B. discuss the game
C. greet the other person D. begin a small talk
5.It can be learned from the passage that .
A. it’s important to find a suitable small talk subject
B. small talk depends on the purpose of the conversation
C. in English-speaking countries we should talk about the weather
D. agreeing with each other is the key to a successful conversation
Americans use the word “friend” in a very general way. They may call many connections . Americans school friends, work friends, sports friends and neighbourhood friends. These friendships are based common interests. When the shared activity , the friendship may disappear. Now Steve and Yarer are no longer classmates. Their friendship has . In some friendship means a strong lifelong bond(关系) between people. In these cultures friendship develop , since they are built to last. American society is one of changes. Studies show that one out of five American families every year because they must change their jobs. The result is American friendship develops quickly. People from the United States may seem friendly. Americans often chat with strangers. They exchange information their families, hobbies and work. They may warmly and say “Have a nice day” or “See you later.” Schoolmates may say, “Let’s get sometime.” But American friendliness is not an offer of true friendship. After an experience like Yarer’s, outsiders may consider to be changeable. Learning how Americans view friendship can non-Americans avoid misunderstanding. It can also help them make friends in the American .
1.A. teachers B. students C. masters D. friends
2.A. hold B. have C. own D. share
3.A. on B. with C. in D. for
4.A. begins B. develops C. ends D. continues
5.A. missed B. changed C. failed D. separated
6.A. cultures B. cities C. schools D. places
7.A. some B. two C. three D. all
8.A. fast B. soon C. slowly D. finally
9.A. thick B. high C. rapid D. large
10.A. moves B. comes C. does D. disappears
11.A. which B. how C. whether D. that
12.A. at once B. at first C. at last D. at all
13.A. easily B. hard C. much D. fast
14.A. to B. from C. about D. for
15.A. smile B. laugh C. nod D. greet
16.A. there B. over C. away D. together
17.A. always B. any C. just D. only
18.A. Chinese B. Japanese C. Americans D. Europeans
19.A. cause B. get C. hope D. help
20.A. ones B. way C. people D. means
—I’m going to Thailand this summer holiday.
—
A. Take care! B. Write to me.
C. Have a nice trip! D. When will you come back?
—Which of the two computer games did you prefer?
—Actually I didn’t like .
A. both of them B. either of them
C. none of them D. neither of them
Every minute must be made full use of spoken English.
A. to practise B. practicing
C. practise D. practiced
