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It was one of the hottest days of the dry season. We had not seen rain in almost a month. The crops were dying. Cows had stopped giving milk. The streams were long gone back into the earth. If we didn't see some rain soon we would lose everything.
I was in the kitchen making lunch for my husband and his brothers when I saw my six-year old son, Billy, walking toward the woods. He was obviously walking with a great effort... trying to be as still as possible. Minutes after he disappeared into the woods, he came running out again, toward the house.
Moments later, however, he was once again walking in that slow purposeful long step toward the woods. This activity went on for over an hour: walking cautiously to the woods, then running back to the house. Finally, my curiosity got the best of me. I crept out of the house and followed him on his journey.
He was cupping both hands in front of him as he walked; being very careful not to spill the water he held in them. Branches and thorns slapped his little face but he did not try to avoid them. He had a much greater purpose. As I leaned in to spy on him, I saw the most amazing site.
Several large deer appeared threatening in front of him. But Billy walked right up to them. I almost screamed for him to get away. And I saw a baby deer lying on the ground, obviously suffering from heavy loss of water and heat exhaustion, lift its head with great effort to lap up the water cupped in my beautiful boy's hand.
I stood on the edge of the woods watching the most beautiful heart I have ever known working so hard to save a life. As the tears that rolled down my face began to hit the ground, they were suddenly joined by other drops... and more drops... and more. I looked up at the sky. It was as if God, Himself, was weeping with pride.
1.Why did the author follow her son?
A. Because there might be danger.
B. Because her son was doing a good deed.
C. Because she intended to help.
D. Because she was curious.
2.Which of the following statements is Not True according to the passage?
A. Rain was in great need.
B. Billy carried water with his small hands.
C. There were few trees in the woods.
D. Billy walked into the woods and then returned over and over again.
3.Which is the correct order of the development of the story?
① The author was moved to tears.
② Billy fed the water to the baby deer.
③ Billy walked towards the large deer.
④ It began to rain.
⑤ The author followed Billy into the woods.
A. ③②⑤①④ B. ⑤③②①④
C. ④①③②⑤ D. ⑤②①③④
4.At the end of the story, the author might experience different feelings Except that ________.
A. Billy was a pride
B. God was touched by Billy's activity
C. the rain should have dropped earlier
D. it was worthwhile to have given birth to Billy
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—Excellent command of English in both oral and written
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1.Margaret is now looking for ________.
A. a roommate B. an apartment C. a job D. her lost cat
2.Which of the following is NOT the requirement of EL house?
A. Experienced in exam preparations.
B. Experienced in teaching Chinese.
C. Excellent command of English.
D. Degree holder.
3.To look for a person to work in your restaurant, you can contact ________.
A. [email protected] com
B. [email protected] com
C. [email protected] com
D. [email protected] com
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A popular saying goes, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” However, that’s not really true. Words have the power to build us up or tear us down. It doesn’t matter if the words come from someone else or ourselves — the positive and negative effects are just as lasting.
We all talk to ourselves sometimes. We’re usually too embarrassed to admit it, though. In fact, we really shouldn’t be because more and more experts believe talking to ourselves out loud is a healthy habit.
This “self-talk” helps us motivate ourselves, remember things, solve problems, and calm ourselves down. Be aware, though, that as much as 77% of self-talk tends to be negative. So in order to stay positive, we should only speak words of encouragement to ourselves. We should also be quick to give ourselves a pat on the back. The next time you finish a project, do well in a test, or finally clean your room, join me in saying “Good job!”
Often, words come out of our mouths without us thinking about the effect they will have. But we should be aware that our words cause certain responses in others. For example, when returning an item to a store, we might use warm, friendly language during the exchange. And the clerk will probably respond in a similar manner. Or harsh (刻薄的) and critical language will most likely cause the clerk to be defensive.
Words possess power because of their lasting effects. Many of us regret something we once said. And we remember unkind words said to us! Before speaking, we should always ask ourselves: Is it true? Is it loving? Is it needed? If what we want to say doesn’t pass this test, then it’s better left unsaid.
Words possess power: both positive and negative. Those around us receive encouragement when we speak positively. We can offer hope, build self-esteem (自尊) and motivate others to do their best. Negative words destroy all those things. Will we use our words to hurt or to heal? The choice is ours.
1.There is no need for us to feel embarrassed when we talk to ourselves because ________.
A. we can benefit from talking to ourselves
B. talking to ourselves always gives us courage
C. almost everybody has the habit of talking to themselves
D. it does no harm to have “self-talk” when we are alone
2.The underlined part in the third paragraph means that we should also timely ________.
A. remind ourselves
B. praise ourselves
C. make ourselves relaxed
D. give ourselves amusement
3.The author would probably hold the view that ________.
A. encouraging words are sure to lead to kind offers
B. negative words may motivate us to make more progress
C. people tend to remember friendly words
D. it is better to think twice before talking to others
4.In which column of the newspaper can you most likely read this passage?
A. Language. B. Advice column. C. Health. D. News.
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SAN FRANCISCO—A phone app（应用程序）in San Francisco gives information about open parking spots．City officials in San Francisco introduced the app to try to reduce traffic jams in the city, but some say it raises safety concerns．
In this city, drivers searching for parking spots lead to 30 percent of all downtown jams, city officials think．Now San Francisco has found a solution — a phone app for spot-seekers that shows information about areas with available spaces．The system, introduced last month, relies on wireless sensors（感应器）fixed in streets and city garages that can tell within seconds if a spot has opened up．
But the system could come with serious consequences．Some people say that drivers searching for parking could end up focusing on their phones, not the road．“It could be really distracting（使分心的）,” said Daniel Simons, a professor of psychology at the University of Illinois．
City officials admitted the hidden problem．They are urging drivers to pull over before they use the city’s iPhone app, or to do so before they leave home. Nathaniel Ford, executive director of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, said safety could actually improve if drivers quickly found a spot instead of circling and getting frustrated．
San Francisco has put sensors into 7,000 parking spots and 12,250 spots in city garages．If spaces in an area open up, the sensors communicate wirelessly with computers that in turn make the information available to app users within a minute, said Mr. Ford, of the transportation agency．On the app, a map shows which blocks have lots of places(blue)and which are full(red)．
More than 12,000 people have downloaded San Francisco’s app, which is available now only for the iPhone.
1.What is the phone app mentioned in the text mainly aimed at?
A. Benefiting iPhone users.
B. Preventing traffic accidents.
C. Making the traffic flow smoothly.
D.Making full use of the parking spots.
2.According to the text, San Francisco city officials ________.
A. don’t consider the app distracting.
B. are aware of the app’s disadvantages.
C. advise drivers to park cars slowly.
D. believe more parking spots are needed.
3.The phone app mentioned in the text ________.
A. is a bit slow in reacting
B. hasn’t been put into service
C. was introduced several years ago
D. can’t be downloaded to all phones
4.What’s the main idea of the passage?
A. A phone app has been introduced to relieve the pressure on traffic in the city.
B. Safety concerns are voiced about a phone app aimed at helping drivers find parking spots.
C. Looking for parking spots contributes greatly to downtown traffic jams.
D. Drivers’ attention is distracted in one way or another when they are driving.
