What do Tom Sawyer and Jumping Frogs have in common? Stories about both of them were created by one man: Mark Twain. Twain was four years old when his family moved to Hannibal, Missouri, located on the west bank of the Mississippi. Twain grew up there and was fascinated with (使……入迷) life along the river——the steamboats, the giant lumber（木头）rafts, and the people who worked on them.
The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County is one of Twain’s best loved short stories, and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is one of his most famous novels. Both these works are celebrated by events held during National Tom Sawyer Days, which originated in the late 1950s and became national in the 1960s. Children enter their frogs in the jumping contest during National Tom Sawyer Days. There’s also a fence painting contest to see who can paint the fastest. The idea for this contest comes from a scene in Tom Sawyer, in which Tom has been told to paint the fence in front of the house he lives in. It’s a beautiful day, and he would rather be doing anything else. As his friends walk by, he makes them believe that it’s fun to paint, and they join in the “fun”. By the end of the day, the fence has three coats of paint!
Although the story of Tom Sawyer is a fiction, it’s based on facts. If you go to Hannibal, you’ll see the white fence, which still stands at Twain’s boyhood home.
1.Which of the following statements about Mark Twain is TRUE?
A. He was born in Hannibal.
B. He enjoyed his life in Hannibal.
C. He spent most of his childhood on the Mississippi.
D. He often went rafting on the Mississippi with his parents.
2. Tom Sawyer Days were created ______________.
A. about forty years ago
B. in memory of a great writer
C. shortly after Twain’s death
D. to improve kids’ interest in reading
3.Who will win the fence painting contest?
A. Bob, painting the longest.
B. Julia, painting most carefully.
C. Jim, painting in the newest way.
D. John, painting in the shortest time.
4.From the white fence at Twain’s boyhood home, we know that ________.
A. the story of Tom Sawyer is based partly on Twain’s experiences.
B. the story of Tom Sawyer is based totally on Twain’s imagination.
C. Twain’s old house is painted by the fence painting competitors.
D. Twain’s old house is visited by people from all over the country.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
One day, a poor man, who had only one piece of bread to eat, was walking past a restaurant. There was a large pot of soup on the table. The poor man held his bread over the soup, so the steam from the soup went into the bread, and gave it a good smell. Then he ate the bread.
The restaurant owner was very angry at this, and he asked the man for money, in exchange for the steam from the soup. The poor man had no money, so the restaurant owner took him to Nasreddin, who was a judge at that time. Nasreddin thought about the case for a little while.
Then he took some money from his pocket. He held the coins next to the restaurant owner’s ear, and shook them, so that they made a dingling（叮当声）noise.
“What was that?” asked the restaurant owner.
“That was payment for you,” answered Nasreddin.
“What do you mean? That was just the sound of coins!” protested (抗议) the restaurant owner.
“The sound of the coin is payment for the smell of the soup,” answered Nasreddin. “Now go back to your restaurant.”
1.The poor man held his bread over the soup to _______.
A. make it heated
B. warm his cold hands
C. avoid paying the restaurant owner
D. make it smell and taste a little better
2.Why did Nasreddin make a noise with the coins?
A. To make the poor man relaxed.
B. To pay for the smell of the soup.
C. To make the restaurant owner happy.
D. To show that he was a rich person.
3. Nasreddin thought that the smell of the soup ________.
A. was worthless B. should be paid
C. was pleasant D. could be sold
4.The writer’s purpose in telling the story is mainly to _________.
A. show the restaurant owner’s greed(贪婪)
B. describe the poor’s unhappy life
C. show Nasreddin’s cleverness and humour
D. prove the value of the sound of coins
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Habits, whether good or bad, are gradually formed. When a person does a certain thing again, he is driven by some unseen force to do the same thing repeatedly, then a habit is formed. Once a habit is formed, it is difficult, and sometimes impossible, to get rid of. That’s why we should pay great attention to the formation of habits. Children often form bad habits, some of which remain with them as long as they live. Older persons also form bad habits as long as they live, and sometimes become ruined by them.
There are other habits which, when formed in early life, are of great help. Many successful men say that much of their success has something to do with certain habits in early life, such as early rising, honesty and so on.
Among the habits which children should not form are laziness, lying, stealing and so on. These are all easily formed habits. Unfortunately older persons often form habits which should have been avoided.
We should keep away from all these bad habits, and try to form such habits which will be beneficial for ourselves and others.
1.The last word, “them”, in the first paragraph refers to _________.
A. good habits B. bad habits
C. children D. older persons
2.Why should we pay attention to the formation of habits?
A. Because habits are of great help to every one of us.
B. Because a man can never get rid of a habit.
C. Because we are forced to do them again and again.
D. Because it’s hard and even not possible to throw away bad habits.
3._________ are formed little by little.
A. Good habits
B. Bad habits
C. Both good habits and bad habits
D. Either good habits or bad habits
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Happy birthday! Do birthday really make people happy? Of course they do. Birthdays celebrate the day when we were born. Besides, that extra candle on the cake suggests another year of growth and maturity（成熟）—or so we hope．We all like to imagine that we are getting wiser and not just older．Most of us enjoy seeing the wonder of growth in others, as well．For instance, seeing our children develop and learn new things makes us feel proud．For Americans, like people in most cultures, growing up is a wonderful process．But growing old? That is a different story.
Growing old is not exactly for people in youth-oriented (以年轻人为中心)American culture．Most Americans like to look young, act young and feel young. As the old saying goes, “You’re young as you feel．” Older people joke about how many years young they are, rather than how many years old．People in some countries value the aged as a source of experience and wisdom．But Americans seem to favor those who are young, or at least “young at heart”．
Many older Americans find the “golden years” to be anything but golden．Economically, “senior citizens” often try just to get by．Retirement at the age of 65 brings a sharp decrease in personal income．Social security benefits usually cannot make up the difference．Older people may suffer from poor nutrition (营养), medical care, and housing. Some even have the experience of age discrimination(歧视). American sociologist(社会学家) Pat Moore once dressed up like an older person and wandered city streets．She was often treated rudely--even cheated and robbed．However, dressed as a young person, she received much more respect．
Unfortunately, the elderly population in America is increasing fast．Why? People are living longer．Fewer babies are being born．And middle-aged “baby boomers”(婴儿潮) are rapidly entering the group of the elderly．America may soon be a place where wrinkles（皱纹）are “in”．Marketing experts are already noticing this growing group of consumers．
1.Growing up is a wonderful thing because ________.
A. people can celebrate their birthdays.
B. people can become more and mature and wiser.
C. people can receive many presents.
D. people will feel younger at heart.
2.We can infer from the second paragraph that _________.
A. young people lack experience and wisdom.
B. American older people often joke about their old age.
C. American culture is very young.
D. different countries have different opinions on the old age.
3.The underlined sentence (in Paragraph 3) means “_________.”
A. the golden years can make the old earn lots of money and receive good medical care
B. the old people in America are probably leading a hard life without good nutrition, medical care or housing.
C. the old in America have to retire at the age of 65.
D. American social security benefits are not good.
4.From the last paragraph we know that the underlined word “in” can be replaced by _______.
A. serious B. bad
C. disappearing slowly D. growing fast
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
根据短文内容,从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中的两项为多余选项。
__1.___You probably think you will never be a top student. This is not necessarily so, however. Anyone can become a better student if he or she wants to. Here’s how:
Plan your time carefully. When planning your work, you should make a list of things that you have to do. After making this list, you should make a schedule of your time. First your time for eating, sleeping, dressing, etc. Then decide a good, regular time for studying. ___2.____A weekly schedule may not solve all your problems, but it will force you to realize what happens to your time.
Find a good place to study. Look around the house for a good study area. Keep this space, which may be a desk or simply a corner of your room, free of everything but study materials. No games, mobile phones, radios, or television. When you sit down to study, concentrate on the subject.
Make good use of your time in class. ___3._____Listening carefully in class means less work later. Taking notes will help you remember what the teacher says.
Study regularly. When you get home from school, go over your notes, review the important points that your teacher is going to discuss the next day, read that material. ___4.___ If you do these things regularly, the material will become more meaningful, and you’ll remember it longer.
Develop a good attitude towards tests. The purpose of a test is to show what you have learned about a subject. They help you remember your new knowledge. The world won’t end if you don’t pass a test, so don’t be over worried.
___5.____ You will probably discover them after you have tried these.
A. There are other methods that might help you with your studying.
B. Don’t forget to set aside enough time for entertainment.
C. Take advantage of class time to listen to what the teacher says.
D. No one can become a top student unless he or she works hard.
E. Maybe you are a common student.
F. Make full use of class time to take notes of everything the teacher says in class.
G. This will help you understand the next class.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
完形填空
阅读下面短文,从短文后各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
One man was to meet his wife downtown and spend some time shopping with her. He waited
_____ for 15 minutes. Then he waited impatiently for 15 minutes more. After that, he became _____ . When he saw a photograph booth (照相亭) nearby, he had _____ . He wore the most unhappy expression he could manage, which was not _____ in the situation. In a few moments, he was holding four small prints that _____ even him.
He wrote his wife’s name on the back of the photos and handed them to a _____ behind the desk in the booth. “ _____ you see a small, dark lady with brown eyes and an apologetic expression, obviously _____ someone, would you please give her this?” he said. He then _____ _his office in Morrison Building, _____ that if a picture is worth a thousand words, then the four photos must be a good _____ ! He sat down with a smile.
Of course his wife received those pictures and she even _____ them. She carries them in her purse now and shows them to anyone who asks if she is married, “See? This is my husband!”
How are you with _____ ? One person calls it “wait training.” It seems that there is always something we are _____ . We wait on traffic and we wait in lines. We wait to hear about a new job. We wait to complete school. We wait for someone to change his or her mind.
Patience is an important _____ of a happy and rewarding life. _____ some things are worth waiting for. _____ presents many good chances for wait training.
We can hate waiting, _____ it or even get good at it! But one thing is _____ —we cannot avoid it. How is your _____ coming along?
1.A. proudly B. respectfully C. patiently D. curiously
2.A. angry B. hungry C. frightened D. thirsty
3.A. a question B. a reason C. an opinion D. an idea
4.A. Serious B. difficult C. Regular D. easy
5.A. hurt B. achieved C. attracted D. shocked
6.A. Clerk B. secretary C. passer-by D. friend
7.A. Since B. Before C. Unless D. If
8.A. looking for B. working for C. sending for D. paying for
9.A. called up B. returned to C. Visited D. left
10.A. worried B. disappointed C. Satisfied D. surprised
11.A. action B. preparation C. Excuse D. lecture
12.A. Tore B. saved C. Developed D. destroyed
13.A. your wife B. determination C. patience D. your family
14.A. hoping for B. waiting for C. ready for D. fit for
15.A. humor B. comment C. purpose D. quality
16.A. For example B. After all C. Right now D. So far
17.A. Every wife B. Every shop C. Every day D. Every office
18.A. accept B. control C. Change D. improve
19.A. certain B. interesting C. Valuable D. easy
20.A. photo taking B. job hunting C. decision making D. wait training
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
语法填空
阅读以下材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（不多于3个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式
Henry,__ 1._____ American businessman, 2. (rescue) by a British ship at sea. 3. took him to London 4. he found himself without money, friends or the hope of a good job. ___5.___(hunger) and alone, he walked in the streets of the city when he was invited into a large house 6. (unexpected).The two wealthy brothers, Roderick and Oliver 7. (make) a secret bet. Roderick believed that a man could not survive in the city for a month 8. a million pound bank note, 9. Oliver believed he could. The play followed Henry’s adventures 10. (find) who would win the bet.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
单词拼写
根据所给单词的首字母及汉语写出单词的正确形式。
1.People are grateful because their food is gathered for the winter and the a________ work（农活）is over.
2.Some people might win a （奖品）for their farm produce, like the biggest watermelon or the most handsome rooster.
3.The most _____________(有活力的) and important festivals are the ones that look forward to the end of winter and the coming of spring.
4. _________________(好奇心) drove Wang Peng inside. It was full of people.
5.I found your menu so limited that I stopped worrying and started advertising the b__________ (益处) of my food.
6. At this moment, they see a penniless young man ______________(徘徊) on the pavement.
7.I went to the American embassy to s （寻求）help , but failed.
8.Cheating is not p （允许）in the examination.
9.If it is raining ,it means that Zhinu is w （哭泣）and the couple won’t be able to meet.
10.I thought you were a new (顾客) and now I know that you only came to spy on me and my menu.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
短文改错
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。错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏词符号（/\），并在此符号下面写出该加的词。
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：每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；只允许修改十次，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
I am so exciting that I can’t wait to share that I experienced with you today. I gave my first lesson in our school, that left me a deep impression.
When I entered into the classroom, my students began to make much noise. I stand on the platform, not knowing what to do at first. But soon I realized everything must be done. “My friends, do you know who I am?” I asked them in loud voice. Immediately, the classroom became quiet and the kids were curiously about me. Then I wrote my name on the blackboard and introduce myself in standard Chinese with local accent, which sounded very funny. “My friends, it seems that I can speak several language.” When hearing this, the kids burst into laugher. Gradually all the kids turned their attention to my class.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
单句翻译
1.如果你的膳食不平衡，会有什么情况发生呢？
2.我们能够从小组讨论中获益良多。换句话说，学会交流很有益处。
3.显而易见没人喜欢被捉弄。（it 作形式主语）
4.正相反，我不同意你所说的。（宾语从句）
5.他在银川, 黄河岸边一个美丽的城市被抚养成人。(用同位语)
难度: 中等查看答案及解析