A couple of weeks back, my friend had a yard sale (庭院拍卖会). She ___ to sell some of our stuff for us. I thought it would be a good chance to ___ my 7-year-old son’s room and sell some toys that he no longer ___. We agreed that whatever we sold in toys would be his ___ .
The night before the sale, we loaded up the ___ with toys and a little bike that he was now ___ tall for. He had taken the bike for a final spin (高速旋转) ___ we left home but ___ put it on the truck for the sale. This little bike had had at least two ___ owner that we knew of. It was not in the best ____ and it certainly was not shiny new but it was still a bike, and the tires were still good.
We put a price of $ 10 on it but it didn’t ____. So, after the sale was ____, my friend put it on the sidewalk with a sign that ____ “FREE BIKE”. Within five minutes her doorbell rang. A little boy was standing there. His English was not very good but he asked if the bike was really ____. She said yes and told him that he could have it for nothing. He smiled, jumped on the bike and ____ away.
Later that evening when I told my son how much money he had ____ at the yard sale, he was very excited. The next day we were going to take the money to the bank. He asked about a few of his things, ____ if they had been sold. When he asked about the bike, I told him about the little boy and that he made a big ____ because he got the bike for free. The smiles on my son’s face were truly ____, much more than when I told him how much he had made. He was so excited to hear that someone else would get good ____ out of that little bike.
1.A. helped B. offered C. decided D. happened
2.A. repair B. paint C. make D. clean
3.A. liked B. used C. owned D. designed
4.A. money B. work C. success D. way
5.A. room B. truck C. yard D. sidewalk
6.A. fairly B. quite C. too D. enough
7.A. before B. unless C. once D. after
8.A. sadly B. happily C. strangely D. angrily
9.A. previous B. similar C. perfect D. private
10.A. color B. shape C. size D. age
11.A. buy B. matter C. sell D. like
12.A. on B. up C. away D. over
13.A. read B. wrote C. painted D. described
14.A. cheap B. expensive C. old D. free
15.A. rode B. drove C. walked D. ran
16.A. bought B. made C. borrowed D. lent
17.A. saying B. wondering C. worrying D. trying
18.A. change B. smile C. cry D. face
19.A. worthless B. useless C. priceless D. meaningless
20.A. use B. luck C. results D. chances
How to Be Grateful
Has your mother or best friend told you that you’re an ungrateful person? 1. Do you keep thinking about the things you don’t have, instead of being thankful for what you do have? If so, then you need to work on being a more grateful person.
1. 2. This isn’t a religious (宗教的) thing. You don’t have to hold off on noting everything you’re thankful for until Thanksgiving. Every Sunday, get a notebook and sit outside for fifteen minutes while making a list of all of the things you’re thankful for.
2. Be grateful for your friendships. 3. You may come to think that your friends are kind and they’re just there, like the couch in your living room. If you take your friends for granted for too long, then they will slowly make their way out of your life.
3. Be grateful to your family. Your family is another thing you should be grateful to. Your parents might have even been the people who tell you that you should be more grateful. 4. Don’t let a day go by without telling your family how much you love them.
4. 5. Throughout history, imagine how many people have contributed to where you are now. Realizing that you couldn’t be what you are now if it weren’t for all of these people is an important step in being a grateful person.
A. Make a gratitude list every Sunday.
B. Friendships are very important in our life.
C. Be grateful for all of the good deeds done for your benefit.
D. Many people are guilty of taking their friends for granted.
E. Keep everything that you are grateful for in mind very day.
F. So, take the time to tell your family how much they mean to you.
G. Do you feel unable to appreciate the beauty, nature, and love that are all around you?
A new report says living in a city makes it harder for people to concentrate(集中) on some tasks. The research found that people who live in rural areas can focus better than people in urban areas. The study is from Goldsmiths College, which is part of the University of London. Head researcher Dr. Karina Linnell and her team made great contributions. They studied how two groups of people did the same "thinking tasks". The team went to a remote(偏远的) part of Namibia, southwest Africa, to study the Himba tribe. Himba people live a very basic life in the desert. They are still doing traditional farming. The team also studied members of the same tribe who had moved to the nearest town. Dr. Linnell said the tribe who lived in the desert did much better on the tests than those in the town. It's really interesting and shocking.
Dr. Linnell said their research may lead to changes in the way companies operate. In the future, workers may move from cities to live and work in the countryside. Linnell said there are too many things around us in the city that stop us from thinking about one thing for a long time. This means we do not work at our best. She asked, "What if, for example, companies realized certain tasks would be better carried out by employees based outside of the urban environment? There their concentration ability is better. "The past century has seen billions of people move from the countryside to big cities. In the future, the trend may not continue. If Dr. Linnell's research is true, this century might see many of those people return to the great outdoors. Let's wait to see what will happen.
1.What did Dr. Linnell and her team conclude from the study on the Himba tribe?
A. Himba people are cleverer than others.
B. Himba people aren't used to the life in city.
C. Himba people focus better in the desert
D. Himba people give up traditional farming.
2.What happened in the past one hundred years?
A. Many people returned to the countryside.
B. Big cities attracted many people to live and work.
C. Many people couldn't concentrate on one task.
D. The way companies operate changed a great deal.
3.The underlined word "outdoors" in the last paragraph probably refers to "______".
A. villages B. cities
C. towns D. countries
4.What is the main purpose of the text ?
A. to remind people to focus better.
B. to advise people to live in countryside.
C. to share a recent study with readers.
D. to show the bright future to readers.
Snoring(打鼾) is noisy breathing during sleep. It is a common problem among all ages and it influences about 90 million American adults. People most at risk are males and those who are overweight, but snoring is a problem of both genders, although it is possible that women do not present this complaint as frequently as men.
Snoring is often the loud or harsh sound that can occur as you sleep. You snore when the flow of air makes the tissue in the back of your throat vibrate(颤动) as you breathe. The sound most often occurs as you breathe in air, and can come through the nose, mouth or both two organs. It can occur during any stage of sleep.
About half of people snore at some point in their lives. Snoring is more common among men, though many women snore. It appears to run in families and becomes more common as you get older. About 40 percent of adult men and 24 percent of adult women are habitual snorers. Men become less likely to snore after the age of 70.
Sleeping on your back may make you more likely to snore. You may snore when your throat or tongue muscles are relaxed. And substances(物质) that can relax these muscles may cause you to snore. These include alcohol, muscle relaxants and other medicine.
Snoring can be a nuisance to your partner and anyone else nearby. You may even snore loudly enough to wake yourself up. Though, in many cases people do not realize that they snore. Snoring can also cause you to have a dry mouth when you wake up.
Light snoring may not disrupt your overall sleep quality. Heavy snoring may be connected with a risk factor in the heart disease, stroke and many other health problems. So never take it lightly.
1.Why do some people snore during their sleep?
A. Because there is something wrong with their throat.
B. Because noises are made when they breathe out.
C. Because the tissue in their throat is vibrating.
D. Because they use their mouth and nose to breathe meanwhile.
2.What can we conclude from the third paragraph?
A. Men suffer much more because of their snoring.
B. Women are easier to become habitual snorers.
C. Snoring may have something to do with genes.
D. The older you turn, the more seriously you snore.
3.In which part of a website can we read the passage?
A. Sports. B. Education.
C. Culture. D. Science.
I remember the day when I first learned to ride a bike. It was a frightening, yet fun experience. My granddad was the one who taught met and he helped me when I got hurt. The first time I got on a bike, I had no idea what I was doing, and just about everything went wrong. My granddad told me to just put my feet on the pedals and start pedaling (骑自行车). He also told me he would hold onto the back of the bike the whole time, yet he didn’t.
As soon as I started trying to balance myself, he let go. I happened to look back just then. I was scared, to death that I was going to fall and hurt myself. When I was scared, my mind went blank from pedaling, and I just wanted off. I forgot how to use the brakes (车闸) and fell right off the bike. My granddad kept encouraging me to get up and try again, and after about 15 minutes, 1 finally stopped crying, got up and tried again.
As soon as I started pedaling again, my pants got caught in the chain, and I fell flat on my face and hit my nose. Since that happened t my granddad decided to call it a day and try again the next morning. The next morning I woke up bright and early, and was very eager to try to ride my bike. My nose felt better, so I wasn’t that afraid of falling anymore.
Though I knew there were a lot of difficulties on the way to mastering the skills in riding a bike, I believed I could do well with my granddad’s help. After all, riding a bike was what I wanted to do eagerly.
1.How was the author when he was on the bike first?
A. He didn’t know where he would be going.
B. He thought balancing himself was easy.
C. He was nervous and didn’t know what to do next.
D. He put his feet on the pedals and started pedaling.
2.What does the underlined part in the passage mean?
A. Remember what happened this day.
B. Make the author feel happy.
C. Stop practicing bicycling.
D. Go on to ride a bike.
3.What is the author’s attitude towards his granddad?
A. Supportive. B. Grateful.
C. Indifferent. D. Negative.
4.Which of the following could be the title for the passage?
A. The Experience of My First Riding a Bike
B. The Difficulty I Met with My Granddad
C. The First Time I Got My Own Bike
D. The Great Moment When I Stayed with My Granddad
These hotels don't have all the necessary facilities(设施),but each of them offers something different. Don't miss them if you travel to Canada.
Sleep on a train at the Train Station Inn.This hotel is in an old train station in Nova Scotia.The owners, James and Shelley Le Fresne,use the station and the train as rooms.There are seven old train cars and there is also a restaurant in the dining car.Prices are from $89 to $169 per room or train car.
Sleep in a jail(监狱) in the Canadian capital, Ottawa.Here, you can sleep in the old downtown Ottawa Jail Hostel.There are group or private bedrooms.There are still bars on the doors ! Prices are from $ 25 to $ 65. Don't worry, there aren't any criminals(犯人）there !
Sleep in a tepee (a tent of the American Indians) at a UNESCO World Heritage site in Alberta.At this hotel, there are guided tours and lessons in local culture. The best part: sleeping in a real tepee outside. The price is around $ 300, or $ 620 for a full package.
Sleep in a lighthouse at the Quirpon Lighthouse Inn. This hotel is on Newfoundland's Quirpon Island. There are great views of the ocean from the windows.There are 11 private rooms in total. Prices are from $ 225 for a single to $ 350 for a suite(套房). Meals are included in the restaurant.The hotel has the traditional look and feel of the lighthouse, so there is no Internet, TV or telephones in the rooms. There are tours available, and boat tours to the island are included.
1.What can you do if you choose the Train Station Inn?
A. Shop in the old train cars.
B. Learn how to drive the train.
C. Have meals in the dining car.
D. Enjoy a rail tour of Nova Scotia.
2.In what way is staying in a tepee in Alberta special?
A. It serves local food to diners.
B. You can sleep in the open air.
C. You can tour Alberta for free.
D. It offers lessons on making tepees.
3.The Quirpon Lighthouse Inn can’t provide________.
A. Private rooms. B. Guided tours.
C. Daily meals. D. The Internet.
4.You' ll pay the least if you choose to sleep________.
A. in a tepee in Alberta B. at the Train Station Inn
C. in the Ottawa Jail Hostel D. at the Quirpon Lighthouse Inn
