-
The first time I saw Carlos I would never have believed he was going to change my life. I had my arms full of books and I was tearing into the classroom when 1 ran into something solid. It was Carlos.
“My God, you’re tall,” he said.
Of course, the class began to laugh. Angry. I walked to my seat without a word.
I glanced back to see if Reed Harrington was laughing with the rest. That would be the last straw. But Reed was studying chemistry and did not seem to be aware of anything else. I didn’t know why I considered Reed my friend. Maybe just because he was a good two inches taller than I. Anyway, every time I blew out my birthday candles and made a wish, it was for a date with Reed Harrington.
“Take that seat，” Mr. McCarthy told the cocky newcomer Carlos，pointing to the only empty one，in the back of the room.
Carlos grinned,“But I need a couple of dictionaries.”Again the class laughed, but now they were laughing with Carlos，not at him. He had been here only 10 minutes and already he had them on his side.
It was the school elections that made me think of Carlos again. Reed Harrington was voted president and Carlos vice-president. “How come?”I kept asking myself,“How come this shrimp who’s only been in town for a little over a month gets to be so popular?”
So that morning，I stopped Carlos and said，“It doesn’t seem to bother you — being short.”He looked up at me , “Of course I mind being short. But there isn’t anything I can do about it. When I realized I was going to have to spend my life in this undersized skin，I just decided to make the best of it and concentrate on being myself.” “You seem to get along great,”I admitted, “But what about me? Nobody wants to date a girl taller than he is.” “The trouble with you is you’re afraid to be yourself. You’re smart. And you could be pretty. In fact, you might be more than pretty.” I felt myself turning red…
1.The author was angry because ________.
A．the class made fun of her B．Carlos was too rude to her
C．she had to carry many books D．Reed Harrington didn’t date her
2.Which of the following about Carlos is NOT TRUE?
A．He was popular. B．He was new in the school.
C．He was shorter than the author. D．He was chosen president in the school elections.
3.We can infer from the passage that ________.
A．Carlos and the author have become good friends
B．the author will be more confident
C．Carlos always encouraged the author
D．the author was tall
4.What’s the best title of the passage?
A．How to be popular B．A tall girl
C．Be yourself D．Something about Carlos
难度: 困难查看答案及解析
-
Putting Movies on Mobiles
Movies in the theater get their recognition at awards ceremonies such as the Oscars．But how about movies for phones? They are getting their turn at MoFilm — the first mobile film festival.
The first MoFilm competition received 250 entries from more than 100 countries．Entries were restricted to films that were five minutes or less in length — ideal for viewing and sharing on mobile phones．An independent jury then selected a shortlist of five film-makers．The winner was chosen from the shortlist by an audience voting using their phones.
New Platforms
The awards highlight the increasing impact that mobile phones are making in the entertainment industry．Many grassroots filmmakers start out with short films．They are thwarted by the lack of opportunities to screen their work．Therefore, mobile phones are increasingly being seen as a new platform for these short works. It is a good place for anyone who wants to express themselves and find a way to have that expression be seen by a wide audience．Just think about how many people have mobile phones in the world!
New Technology Advances
MoFilm is pioneering content for mobile and online services that is a world away from Hollywood．The majority of films made for mobiles are now short in length, taking into account the screen size．However this could be overcome as technology advances.
In the near future, longer films will likely be seen on the mobile phone．And there are mobile companies creating phones where users can watch movies at higher quality．
Wherever you see movies, one thing is certain: the quality of work, the simple ability at story telling, and the thing that inspires someone to tell a story can really come from anywhere.
1.At the first MoFilm, ________．
A．movies in the theater got their recognition
B．more than 100 countries took part in the competition
C．ideal films were five minutes or less in length
D．the winner was chosen by experts’ voting
2.They are thwarted by the lack of opportunities to screen their work．The underlined word means “________”．
A．disappointed B．surprised C．frightened D．encouraged
3.Nowadays the majority of films made for mobiles are short in length because of ________．
A．online services B．the mobile phone C．technology advances D．the screen size
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
-
Special trees that grow faster, fight pollution, produce better wood, and even sense chemical attacks are being planted by scientists in the US．
When 40 per cent of Hawaii's US$14 million-a-year papaya （木瓜）industry was destroyed by a virus five years ago, work began on creating genetically engineered（转基因的）trees．
Researchers successfully introduced seeds that were designed to resist the virus．Since then, more and more people have been testing genetically engineered trees．Some researchers put special bacteria into trees to help them grow faster and produce better wood．Others are trying to create trees that can clean polluted soil．Meanwhile fruit farmers are looking for trees that are strong enough to resist worms, and paper companies want trees that produce more wood and therefore more paper．
The Pentagon （五角大楼） even gave the researchers US$500,000 this year after they developed a pine tree that changes its colours if it senses a chemical attack．So far, the poplar, eucalyptus （杨树与桉树）, apple and coffee trees are among those being engineered．All this can be done today because we have a better understanding of tree genomes （基因组）．
However, some people fear that the genetically engineered trees will cause dangerous results．They are worried that the new trees will breed with natural species and change the balance of the forest environment．
“It could be destructive,” said Jim Diamond, an environmentalist. “Trees are what is left of our natural environment and home to many endangered species.”
But researchers insist that science could give nature a fighting chance against both natural and man-made dangers．They hope to answer the critics by stopping the new trees from breeding, so their effect on the environment can be controlled．
1.Which kind of tree is not the ones that scientists are planting in the US?
A．Trees that worms can't hurt．
B．Genetically engineered trees．
C．Trees that can resist wind better．
D．Trees that can protect themselves at a chemical attack．
2.What caused the American scientists to work on special trees?
A．Tree genomes are mapped out so scientists know how to improve trees．
B．Great numbers of trees have been lost due to attacks by viruses．
C．Researchers successfully introduced seeds designed to resist the virus．
D．They think science could give nature a fighting chance against both natural and man-made dangers．
3.Which of the following was probably the first kind of trees being engineered?
A．Papaya． B．Pine． C．Apple． D．Poplar．
4.Why did critics think engineered trees dangerous? Because ________．
A．these trees can destroy the balance of nature
B．everything except trees has been genetically engineered
C．trees are home to many endangered species
D．these trees may affect normal trees
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
-
Sports can help you keep fit and get in touch with nature．However, whether you are on the mountains, in the waves, or on the grassland, you should be aware that your sport of choice might have great influence on the environment.
Some sports are resource-hungry．Golf, as you may know, eats up not only large areas of countryside, but also tons of water．Besides, all sorts of chemicals and huge amounts of energy are used to keep its courses (球场) in good condition．This causes major environmental effects．For example, in the dry regions of Portugal and Spain, golf is often held responsible for serious water shortage in some local areas．
There are many environment-friendly sports．Power walking is one of them that you could take up today．You don’t need any special equipment except a good pair of shoes; and you don’t have to worry about resources and your purse．Simple and free, power walking can also keep you fit．If you walk regularly, it will be good for your heart and bones．Experts say that 20 minutes of power walking daily can make you feel less anxious, sleep well and have better weight control.
Whatever sport you take up, you can make it greener by using environment-friendly equipment and buying products made from recycled materials．But the final goal should be “green gyms”．They are better replacements for traditional health clubs and modern sports centers．Members of green gyms play sports outdoors, in the countryside or other open spaces．There is no special requirement for you to start your membership．And best of all, it’s free.
1.The author thinks the golf is resource-hungry because of the following EXCEPT that ________.
A．Golf wastes large areas of countryside
B．Golf runs out of much water
C．Golf is bad for people’s health
D．Keeping golf court in good condition needs too much energy
2.According to the passage, which of the following is an environment-friendly sport?
A．hiking in the hills B．swimming in the pool
C．playing basketball in the gym D．motor racing in the desert
3.The reason why the author uses power walking as an example mainly is that ________.
A．it improves our health B．it is an outdoor sport
C．it is recommended by experts D．it uses fewer resources
4.The passage is developed mainly by ________.
A．examples and explanation B．comparison and persuasion
C．facts and descriptions D．figures and conclusion
难度: 困难查看答案及解析
-
Alone in the wilderness. Nothing but jungle. A world of shadow with the rays of light falling like blonde hair from the crowns of the giant trees. Jungle in the midday sun. Everything motionless. Not a sound from sky or earth. Complete silence. Only some coconuts falling, at long intervals, very far away. The world reduced to the soft touch of cool grass along my naked back, and a sweet smell of rich soil and vegetation. Stretched out with closed eyes beside my heavy burden of fruit and firewood, I enjoyed the feeling of fresh blood streaming through every part of my body and fresh jungle air filling every corner of my lungs.
Resting motionless, I could see the sun through my closed eyelids, alone in the sky, as lonely as I, and as motionless and silent as everything else. The earth had surely stopped turning and somewhere on this planet there was supposed to be roaring traffic in busy streets. What a crazy, unbelievable thought!
Another coconut fell, to make the world come to a complete standstill. I had to roll over onto my stomach to feel that at least I could move and make noises. Then I found company. A little brown ant was struggling to find its way with a bit of dry straw through the jungle of leaves and grass below my nose. I wondered if I could give the little fellow a lift with its burden, but it showed not the slightest sign of tiredness and struggled on with all six legs, head first or head last, waving its feelers energetically as if the trip had just started. Who ever saw a tired ant? Tiredness, disagreeable tiredness, is restricted to hunted animals, slaves and modern man. It is as great an effort for an office clerk to walk five blocks with a loaded brief-case as it is for a jungle-dweller to cross a valley with a goat on his back. It is as hard to get up and climb or run when you have been seated for years as it is to get up and walk when you have been in bed for months. The body is strange. Spare it, and you get really tired for almost nothing; use it, and almost nothing makes you really tired.
I rose to my feet. I had heard a horse neighing down in the valley. Above me, on the open highland plains, there were wild horses. But down in the valley there was never a horse unless there was a man on it. Somebody was making his way up the valley and my wife was alone.
1.The author mentions coconuts’ falling to ________.
A．show his loneliness B．add beauty to the jungle
C．express his love of nature D．stress the absolute silence
2.What’s the right order of the following events?
① I heard a horse neighing down in the valley.
② I went to the jungle.
③ I found an ant carrying a bit of dry straw.
④ I lay on the ground to have a break.
⑤ I picked fruits and chopped firewood.
A. ②③⑤①④ B. ⑤③②④① C. ②⑤④③① D. ⑤④③②①
3.How does the author feel about the ant?
A．He admired its attitude toward work.
B．He was amazed at its tireless efforts.
C．He showed sympathy for the little ant.
D．He was content to have it as a companion.
4.It can be inferred from the last paragraph that the author would probably ________.
A．work harder than before B．talk to the man on the horse
C．make his way home D．stay in the valley
5.We can learn from the passage that the author ________.
A．enjoyed being alone B．experienced a world of quietness
C．missed his busy life in the city D．had an unforgettable adventure
难度: 中等查看答案及解析