ohn Cruitt, 62, spent decades tracking down his third- grade teacher.
He wanted to talk with Cecile Doyle about 1958--- the year his mother, who was seriously ill, passed away.
Her death came just days before Christmas. Cruitt had been expecting to go home from school and decorate the Christmas tree.
“When I found out she died, I could certainly relate to that, because when I was 11, my own father died,” Doyle tells Cruitt at StoryCorps in Monroe, N.Y. “And you just don’t know how you’re going to go on without that person.”
When Cruitt returned to school, Doyle waited until all of the other children left the room at the end of the day, and told him that she was there if he needed her.
“Then you kissed me on the head,” Cruitt says. “And I felt that things really would be OK.”
“Well, Cruitt, I’m so glad that I could be there with you for that time,” says Doyle, 82.
Decades after his mother’s death, Cruitt began to think more and more of Doyle. He finally wrote a letter:
Dear Mrs. Doyle,
If you are not the Cecile Doyle who taught English at Emerson School in Kearny, N.J., then I’m embarrassed, and you can disregard the letter.
My name is John Cruitt, and I was in your third- grade class during the 1958-1959 school year. Two days before Christmas, my mother passed away, and you told me that you were there if I needed you. I hope life has been as kind to you as you were to me.
God bless you.
John Cruitt
Doyle says his letter, which arrived in February, could not have come at a better time. Her husband, who passed away this August, was struggling with Parkinson’s disease.
“And I had just come home from the hospital, and I read this beautiful letter, and I just was overwhelmed,” she says.
“Well the funny thing is, when I finally wrote to you again after 54 years, I typed the letter--- I was afraid my penmanship wasn’t going to meet your standards,” Cruitt says as Doyle laughs.
“John, what can I say--- I’m just glad that we made a difference in each other’s life.”
1.After Cruitt’s mother’s death, ________.
A. Cruitt totally relied on his father
B. Doyle’s words brought him comfort
C. Cruitt didn’t go to school regularly
D. Doyle asked his classmates to help him
2.Before Cruitt wrote the letter, he______.
A. knew Doyle’s husband had passed away
B. believed Doyle was leading a happy life
C. considered it embarrassing to write to Doyle
D. was unsure whether Doyle could receive the letter
3.Doyle believed the letter_____.
A. was a belated gift
B. came at just the right time
C. lifted her confidence greatly
D. served as a reminder of her husband
4.Why did Cruitt type the letter?
A. Doyle had taught him typing.
B. He was better at typing than writing.
C. Doyle would be able to read it without difficulty.
D. He was afraid Doyle would be dissatisfied with his writing.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
ith its 775 rooms, Buckingham Palace makes regular houses look tiny. Now home to Queen Elizabeth II, it’s been the British Monarchy’s official London digs since 1837. National Geographic Kids slipped behind the guarded gates to find the palace’s coolest features.
1. FANCY FEAST
For special dinners, a team of 21 chefs whips up dishes that are served on solid gold plates. Even Her Majesty’s pet dogs receive meals of lamb and cabbage in silver bowls. Good thing the kitchen is well stocked--- the Queen welcomes about 50,000 dining guests every year.
2. CLASSY COACH
The Queen’s most attractive ride may be the Gold State Coach, parked in the palace’s Royal Mews building and used in the crowning of a king or queen, since 1821. Covered with heavy gold, it’s pulled by eight horses.
3. MOVIE NIGHT
The royal family hosts private screenings of movie in their very own cinema, sometimes seeing new films before they hit theaters.
4. WHAT’S UP, DOC?
Forget a medicine cabinet (药品柜). Buckingham Palace houses a doctor’s office run by the Queen’s physician. And surgeons have performed operations in other parts of the palace. In 1902, for instance, doctors operated on King Edward VII in a room facing the garden.
5. BEDROOMS
The palace has 52 bedrooms. Rooms such as those inside the Belgian Suite contain chandeliers(枝行吊灯),gold-gilded mirrors, fireplaces, canopy beds, and more.
6. TOP- SECRET TUNNELS
Rumor has it that secret underground tunnels connect the royal residence to other buildings in London. The paths were reportedly built during World War II when enemy bombs regularly pounded the city. Weaving deep under London’s busy streets, the tunnels would have provided the royals safe passage during an attack. But even now officials won’t reveal much about these under- the- radar routes.
1.The underlined part “whips up” probably means_______.
A. enjoys B. selects C. cleans D. cooks
2.According to the text, in Buckingham Palace________.
A. there are eight horses altogether
B. stocks of food in the kitchen hardly run low
C. the Queen’s pet dogs are fed with simple meals
D. there’s no suitable place to perform operations
3.What do we know about the tunnels in Buckingham Palace?
A. They are not well- protected.
B. They were heavily bombed.
C. They are not open to the public.
D. They are linked with other cities in Britain.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Mosquitoes(蚊子) ruin countless American picnics every year, but around the world, this bloodsucking beast isn’t just annoying— it causes a health problem. More than a million people die from the spread of mosquito-borne diseases like malaria and yellow fever each year. Attempts to control populations via insecticides like DDT have had ruinous side effects for nature and human health. Neurobiologist Leslie B. Vosshall has a different solution for stopping the insects and the spread of disease. “I believe the key to controlling mosquito behavior is to understand better how they sense us,” she says.
At their Rockefeller University lab, Vosshall and her colleagues are studying the chemical sensory processes by which mosquitoes choose hosts. How do they sense heat, humidity, carbon dioxide, and body odor(气味)? What makes some people more attractive to a mosquito than others? It takes blood and sweat to find out. To study how mosquitoes assess body odor, Vosshall and her teammates might wear stockings on their arms and keep from showering for 24 hours to create sample smells, Then comes the hard part. They insert their arms into the insects’ hidden home to study how mosquitoes land, bite, and feed and then they document how this changes. This can mean getting anywhere from one bite to 400, depending on the experiment. Studying male mosquitoes is more pleasant. Since they don’t feed on blood, the lab tests their sense of smell using honey.
Vosshall and her team have also begun to study how genetics contribute to mosquitoes’ choice of a host. She’s even created a breed that is unable to sense carbon dioxide, an important trigger for the insects. “By using genetics to make mutant(变异的) mosquitoes, we can document exactly how and why mosquitoes hunt humans,” Vosshall says.
Once Vosshall figures out what makes mosquitoes flock to us, she can get to work on making them leave us alone. Many of her lab’s proposed solutions sound simple enough, including bracelets(手镯) that carry long-lasting repellants(驱虫剂) or traps that can reduce populations, but the breakthroughs, when they come, may save millions of lives in the developing world—and a lot of itching everywhere else.
1.Vosshall and her colleagues are mainly studying mosquitoes’ ______
A. appearance B. size
C. behavior D. change
2.By saying the underlined part “Then comes the hard part”, the author probably means that______.
A. the insects smell terrible
B. the experiment will last long
C. The researchers will probably suffer
D. the researchers have to study lots of documents.
3.Why is it less challenging to study male mosquitoes?
A. They are not bloodsuckers.
B. They are afraid of stockings.
C. They have a poor sense of smell.
D. They are protective of their hosts.
4.It can be inferred from the last paragraph that Vosshall’s research______.
A. looks very promising
B. has saved millions of lives
C. is facing great difficulties
D. is quite simple to carry out.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Too much TV-watching can harm children’s ability to learn and even reduce their chances of getting a college degree, new studies suggest in the latest effort to examine the effects of television on children.
One of the studies looked at nearly 400 northern California third-graders. Those with TVs in their bedrooms scored about eight points lower on math and language arts tests than children without bedroom TVs.
A second study, looking at nearly 1000 grown-ups in New Zealand, found lower education levels among 26-year-olds who had watched lots of TV during childhood. But the results don’t prove that TV is the cause and don't rule out that already poorly motivated youngsters(年轻人）may watch lots of TV.
Their study measured the TV habits of 26-year-olds between ages5 and 15. These with college degrees had watched an average of less than two hours of TV per weeknight during childhood, compared with an average of more than 2 1/2 hours for those who had no education beyond high school
In the California study, children with TVs in their rooms but no computer at home scored the lowest while those with no bedroom TV but who had home computers scored the highest
While this study does not prove that bedroom TV sets caused the lower scores, it adds to accumulating findings that children shouldn't have TVs in their bedrooms
1.According to the California study, the low-scoring group might_____
A. have watched a lot of TV
B. not be interested in math
C. be unable to go to college
D. have had computers in their bedrooms
2.What is the researchers' understanding of the New Zealand study results?
A. Poorly motivated 26-year-olds watch more TV.
B. Habits of TV watching reduce learning interest
C. TV watching leads to lower education levels of the 15-year-olds.
D. The connection between TV and education levels is difficult to explain
3.What can we learn from the last two paragraphs?
A. More time should be spent on computers.
B. Children should be forbidden from watching TV.
C. 'IV sets shouldn't be allowed in children's bedrooms,
D. Further studies on high-achieving students should be done
4.What would be the best title for this text?
A. Computers or Television
B Effects of Television on Children
C. Studies on TV and College Education
D. Television and Children's Learning Habits
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
During the winter of 2002, I had the opportunity to teach tennis in Nevis in the Caribbean Sea. My experience teaching and staying on the island was wonderful, it was also hard work!
After several weeks of teaching, I was for a vacation! I had planned a surfing outing at a surf camp in Panama with my friend Clayton. I to Panama City with my tennis bag and off we went to the remote Bay of Chiriqui.
To get to the camp, we had to load Clayton’s surfboards and my gear （装备）on and off several buses and boats. After eight hours of travel we finally .
The camp was perfect. The rooms were ideal. I rented a board and we had an unbelievable week good waves.
On our trip, we learned that our bus back to Panama City had been delayed. The sun was down on us , and the only was under a canvas canopy（帆布罩蓬）, next to the bus terminal attendant’s .
As I walked over to the shade area, a couple of kids started throwing at me. Thinking quickly, I reached into my and opened a can of tennis balls. I the youngsters and gave them the tennis balls. I got them to throw the balls onto the racket throwing rocks at me. They seemed to that.
Then an old boy got interested. He joined the game. he seemed a bit more coordinated （协调的）than the youngsters, I gave him a racket and got him to try to hit the ball onto the catching racket.
Soon, his bus arrived, and he was on his . But the clinic（临场教学） had just . Families from across the streets came over and wanted their tennis lesson, too. The bus terminal attendant __her post and came out for a lesson, too.
In what seemed like no , my bus arrived. Clayton and I made it back to Panama City in time for our connecting flights.
1.A. unless B. but C. because D. so
2.A. guilty B. blessed C. known D. ready
3.A. rode B. drove C. walked D. flew
4.A. hiking B. tennis C. boarding D. swimming
5.A. relaxed B. stopped C. arrived D. united
6.A. admiring B. expecting C. watching D. surfing
7.A. shopping B. field C. return D. business
8.A. cutting B. breaking C. beating D. calming
9.A. station B. shade C. seat D. entrance
10.A. camp B. car C. office D. house
11.A. rackets B. balls C. sticks D. rocks
12.A. bag B. pocket C. can D. suitcase
13.A. approached B. blamed C. passed D. pushed
14.A. except for B. instead of C. by means of D. in case of
15.A. enjoy B. dislike C. worry D. understand
16.A. If B. As C. Though D. After
17.A. side B. phone C. way D. trip
18.A. faded B. changed C. finished D. started
19.A. left B. cleaned C. searched D. protected
20.A. time B. effort C. problem D. opinion
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Toys are not merely playthings. Toys form the building blocks for our child’s future. They teach our children about the world and about themselves. They send messages and communicate values. 1.
Wise parents also think about the number of toys that children are given. While most toy rooms and bedrooms today are filled to the ceiling with toys, intentional parents learn to limit the number of toys that kids have to play with. __2.
Kids learn to be more creative. __3.__Two German public health workers conducted an experiment in which they convinced a kindergarten classroom to remove all of their toys for three months. Although boredom set in during the initial stages of the experiment, the children soon began to use their basic surroundings to invent games and use imagination in their playing.
__4. When too many toys are introduced into a child life, their attention span will begin to suffer. A child will rarely learn to fully appreciate the toy in front of them when there are countless opinions still remaining on the shelf behind them.
5. hildren with fewer toys learn how to develop interpersonal relationships with other kids and adults. They learn the give and take of a good conversation. And studies have shown childhood friendships seem to lead to a greater chance of success academically and in social situations during adulthood.
A.Kids establish better social skills.
B.Kids develop longer attention spans.
C.Kids learn to take greater care of things.
D.So do your child a favor today and limit their number of toys.
E.Too many toys prevent kids from fully developing their gift of imagination.
F.They understand that fewer toys will actually benefit their children in the long term.
G.Thus, wise parents think about what foundation is being laid by the toys that are given to their kids.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Fay: I can’t decide whether to ask my son to attend a university here,1._____allow him to move to another city to go to school.
Mark: what does he want to do?
Fay: he’s not sure. There is an excellent pre-law program (法律预科课程) at a university in Troy, but that’s three hours away. Well, he likes 2._____idea of studying there, but he has friends 3.______ will stay here, and his girlfriend may stay here too.
Mark: Ha, ha. I forgot 4._____ complicated these decisions can be! When I went to college, the only thing my parents and I took into 5.________(consider ) was the program.
Fay: I know! These days young people have such involved social lives!
Maybe6.______ would be good for him to go to the school at Troy. He really wants to study law, and his grades are excellent. I’m sure he7.______(accept)there.
Mark: That sounds like a good plan. He’ll grow up a lot 8.______(fast) if he moves away, you know! And I know your son will always stay 9._______ touch with his parents. He’s a fine young man !
Fay: Thanks, Mark. I always appreciate 10.________(talk) to you.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加 、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（＼）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词。
2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处）不计分。
I was a newly qualified foot-health practitioner（执业者）. One day I was in the phone to a female patient recently, go over the details of an appointment. I careful wrote down her address, phone number and the set time in case of I forgot. We were just finished the conversation when she said, “I hope you don’t mind, so I have a rather strange question.” “of course” I reply.” Go right ahead.” “Well,” said a lady nervously, “I was wondering if they offered discounts because I only have one leg.” Feeling that the lady extremely serious, I said yes without hesitation.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
某英文报社就“关爱空巢老人”这一话题进行征文。请你根据所给提示写一篇英语短文投稿。内容主要包括：
空巢老人越来越多的原因。2.他们面临的问题。3. 如何帮助他们。
注意：1.词数100左右
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3.开头已为你写好，但不计入总词数。
Old people that live alone with no family to take care of them are now called the empty-nestelderly.______________________________________________________
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难度: 中等查看答案及解析