阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容或括号内单词的正确形式。
“Why do we have to learn about these useless things?” This is what teachers have heard students complain about most 1. (common). In such cases, we may tell the students such 2. story:
One night, a group of herdsmen（牧民）were about to leave the campsite when there appeared a flash of bright light. They knew that God would be there, so they looked forward to 3.(get) wishes from God. God 4.( begin )to speak: “You have to collect along the way a number of stones. Tomorrow night, you may be very happy, but you may be very regretful.” Then God disappeared.
The herdsmen were very 5. (disappoint), because they would look forward to God to bring them untold wealth or treasure, but they did not expect that God had told them to do all these meaningful things. However, in any case, after all, that was God’s will. Although there 6. (be) some dissatisfaction, they were still picking over some stones. 7. this way, they took a day. When night fell, they stopped. All of a sudden, they found that all the stones they picked had turned into 8. (diamond). They were happy, 9. at the same time, they felt very sorry, and they regretted that they had not collected more stones.
Now we feel that knowledge is as useless as stones, 10. may become endless wealth in the future.
A little girl lived in a simple and poor house on a hill. Usually she ______ play in the small garden. She could see over the garden fence and across the valley a wonderful house with shining golden windows high on another hill.______ she loved her parents and her family, she desired to live in such a house and ______all day about how wonderful and exciting ______must feel to live there.
At the age when she gained some ______ skill and sensibility (识别力), she ______ her mother for a bike ride ______ the garden. Her mother finally allowed her to go，______ her keeping close to the house and not ______ too far. The day was beautiful. The little girl knew______ where she was heading! ______ the hill and across the valley, she rode to the ______ of the golden house.
______ she got off her bike and put it against the gate post, she focused on the path______to the house and then on the house itself.She was very disappointed when she ______ that all the windows were ______ and rather dirty.
So ______and heartbroken, she didn't go any further. She ______， and all of a sudden she saw an amazing ______. There on the other side of the valley was a little house and its windows were golden. Looking at her little home, she______ that she had been living in her golden house filled with love and care. Everything she dreamed was right there in front of her house.
1.A. might B. should C. would D. must
2.A. Unless B. Although C. Since D. But
3.A. dreamed B. worried C. asked D. shouted
4.A. this B. that C. it D. which
5.A. different B. scientific C. musical D. basic
6.A. begged B. blamed C. invited D. paid
7.A. inside B. outside C. through D. along
8.A. insisting on B. relying on C. arguing about D. wondering about
9.A. traveling B. running C. riding D. walking
10.A. madly B. rapidly C. exactly D. possibly
11.A. Over B. Down C. Around D. Beside
12.A. windows B. steps C. center D. gate
13.A. Until B. As C. While D. Because
14.A. getting B. introducing C. leading D. moving
15.A. felt B. learned C. concluded D. found
16.A. transparent B. bright C. plain D. wide
17.A. anxious B. angry C. serious D. sad
18.A. turned around B. cheered up C. settled down D. dropped in
19.A. hill B. valley C. background D. sight
20.A. imagined B. decided C. realized D. guessed
It is not so easy to disagree with your parents. Here are a few quick tips on how to show your opinion in the right way.
1. Don’t let angry words fly out of your mouth if you don’t really want to say them，or you will have a lot of work to do later.
2.How would you feel if you were your mother or father？ Why do they do that？ Is it really bad？
Try to stay calm. If you find yourself getting too angry, ask for some time to be alone. 3.
Learn to listen. Maybe your parents aren’t as persuasive as you think. 4.
Pay attention to needs rather than problems. 5.Tell your parents that you want to discuss the problem with them rather than work against them.
A. Think before you speak.
B. Never listen to your parents.
C. Think about the problem from your parents’ point of view.
D. It is quite common to disagree with one’s parents.
E. Hear them out and then decide how to deal with the problem.
F. Be clear about what you need，rather than focus on why you disagree.
G. If you can, try to discuss the problem with your parents at another time.
Tomato Festival
Started in 2005, the Tomato Festival has grown into a local tradition in Malta. In recent years, the festival has added amusement park-style rides and a yearly Creature Feature, which screens old horrible movies. There are also dance competitions, parades and pancake breakfast. Third weekend in August.
Address: 833 Tinkham Rd, Fountain Park, Wilbraham, Massachusetts 01095 Phone：(413)599-0010
Brat Days
Don't mistake this festival for a day filled with poorly behaved children. Begun in 1953, the gathering is the biggest festival in the city each year and features more than 50 stands (摊位) selling the sausage, as well as a contest to see who can quickly eat the most bratwurst (德国式小香肠) in ten minutes. Early August.
Address: 17th and New Jersey sts, Kiwanis Park, Sheboygan, Wisconsin 53081
Phone: (920)457-9491
Hope Watermelon Festival
The festival dates back to the 1920s, when many trains went through this small town and local watermelon growers would sell their watermelon to parched travelers. These days, the festival sees a Watermelon Queen crowned(加冠的) and sometimes a world-record watermelon grown. There are also more than 300 stands selling arts and crafts from a six-state area, as well as a car show and the Watermelon Olympics. Early August.
Address: 108 W 3rd St, Hope, Arkansas 71801 Phone: (870) 777-3640
Oyster Festival (牡蛎节)
Featuring appearances from tall ships and oyster boats, this festival has regularly drawn 60,000 visitors a year since it began in 1978.More than 3,000 volunteers make the festival possible each year. Norwalk is less than a two-hour drive from many of New England's larger cities, making it easy to attend the festival during a trip to New York or Hartford. Weekend after Labor Day.
Address: Sea view Ave, Veteran's Park, East Nor-walk, Connecticut 06855 Phone: (800) 866-7925
1.Which of the following festivals has the longest history?
A. Oyster Festival. ? B. Hope Watermelon Festival.
C. Brat Days. D. Tomato Festival.
2.The underlined word “parched” in the third passage means________.
A. tired B. hungry
C. thirsty D. excited
3.In which of the following activities can you enjoy the frightening films?
A. The Creature Feature B. The Watermelon Olympics
C. The Eating-bratwurst Contest D. Dance Competitions
4.If it is August 15 today this year, you might still attend ________.
A. Brat Days B. Oyster Festival
C. Hope Watermelon Festival ? D. Tomato Festival
If English means endless new words, difficult grammar and sometimes strange pronunciation, you are wrong. Haven’t you noticed that you have become smarter since you started to learn a language? According to a new study by a British university, learning a second language can lead to an increase in your brain power. Researchers found that learning other languages changes grey matter. This is the area of the brain which processes information. It is similar to the way that exercise builds muscles.
The study also found the effect is greater when the younger people learn a second language. A team led by Dr. Andrea Mechelli, from University College London, took a group of Britons who only spoke English. They were compared with a group of “early bilinguals” who had learnt a second language before the age of five, as well as a number of later learners.
Scans showed that grey matter density (密度) in the brain was greater in bilinguals than in people without a second language. But the longer a person waited before mastering a new language, the smaller the difference.
“Our findings suggest that the structure of the brain is changed by the experience of learning a second language,” said the scientists. It means that the change itself increases the ability to learn. Professor Dylan Vaughan Jones of the University of Wales, has researched the link between bilingualism and math skills. “Having two languages gives you two windows on the world and makes the brain more flexible (灵活的),” he said. “You are actually going beyond language and have a better understanding of different ideas.”
The findings were matched in a study of native Italian speakers who had learned English as a second language between the ages of two and thirty-four. Reading, writing, and comprehension were all tested. The results showed that the younger they started to learn, the better. “Studying a language means you get an entrance to another world,” explained the scientists.
1.The main subject talked about in this passage is ________.
A. science on learning a second language
B. man’s ability of learning a second language
C. that language can help brain power
D. language learning and math study
2.The underlined word “bilingual” probably means _______.
A. a researcher on language learning
B. a person who can speak two languages
C. a second language learner
D. an active language learner
3.We may know from the scientific findings that ________.
A. the earlier you start to learn a second language, the higher the grey matter density is.
B. there is no difference between a later second language learner and one who doesn’t know a second language.
C. the experience of learning a second language has bad effect on people’s brain.
D. the ability of learning a second language is changing all the time.
All over the world people enjoy sports. Sports help to keep people healthy, happy and help them to live longer.
Sports change with the seasons. People play different games in winter and summer.
Games and sports often grow out of people's work and everyday activities. The Arabs use horses or camels in much of their everyday life; they use them in their sports, too.
Some sports are so interesting that people everywhere go in for them. Football, for example, has spread around the world. Swimming is popular in all countries near the sea or in those with many rivers.
Some sports or games go back thousands of years, like running or jumping. Chinese boxing, for example, has a very long history. But basketball and volleyball are rather new. Neither one is a hundred years old yet. People are inventing new sports or games all the time.
People from different countries may not be able to understand each other, but after a game they often become good friends. Sports help to train a person's character. One learns to fight hard but fight fair, to win without pride and to lose with grace.
1.According to this passage we know that________.
A. people began to play pingpong about one hundred years ago
B. about 100 years ago people ran or jumped when they played
C. basketball has a longer history than volleyball
D. not all the games have a long history
2.The writer didn't tell us in this passage that________.
A. basketball was invented in America
B. sports change with the seasons
C. games and sports often grow out of people's work and everyday activities
D. football is played all over the world
3.According to this passage, which of the following is NOT true?
A. Sports help to train a person's character.
B. People swim only because there are a lot of rivers in their country.
C. People from different countries may not be able to understand each other before a game.
D. Sports and games can develop the friendship between people all over the world.
4.A lot of people have more free time from their work to enjoy sports because________.
A. they like sports very much B. they want to live longer
C. they want to make a lot more friends D. all of the above
