Robert Owen was born in Wales in 1771. At the age of ten he went to work. His employer had a large private library so Owen was able to educate himself. He read a lot in his spare time and at nineteen he was given the job of superintendent(监工) at a Manchester cotton mill. He was so successful there that he persuaded his employer to buy the New Lanark mill in Scotland.
When he arrived at New Lanark it was a dirty little town with a population of 2,000 people. Nobody paid any attention to the workers’ houses or their children’s education. The conditions in the factories were very bad. There was a lot of crime and the men spent most of their wages on alcoholic drinks.
Owen improved the houses. He encouraged people to be clean and save money. He opened a shop and sold the workers cheap, well-made goods to help them. He limited the sale of alcoholic drinks. Above all, he fixed his mind on the children's education. In 1816 he opened the first free primary school in Britain.
People came from all over the country to visit Owen’s factory. They saw that the workers were healthier and more efficient than in other towns. Their children were better fed and better educated. Owen tried the same experiment in the United States. He bought some land there in 1825, but the community was too far away. He could not keep it under control and lost most of his money.
Owen never stopped fighting for his idea. Above all he believed that people are not born good or bad. He was a practical man and his ideas were practical. “If you give people good working conditions”, he thought, “they will work well and, the most important thing of all, if you give them the chance to learn, they will be better people.”
1.For Owen, his greatest achievement in New Lanark was _____________.
A. improving worker’s houses
B. helping people to save money
C. preventing men from getting drunk
D. providing the children with a good education
2.From the passage we may infer that Owen was born ___________.
A. into a rich family B. into a noble family
C. into a poor family D. into a middle class family
3.We may infer form the passage that no children in Britain could enjoy free education until ___.
A. 1771 B. 1816 C. 1825 D. 1860
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Be careful what you say around your dog. It might understand more than you think.
A border collie named Rico recognizes the names of about 200 objects, say researchers in Germany. The dog also appears to be able to learn new words as easily as a 3-year-old child. Its word-learning skills are as good as those of a parrot or chimpanzee(黑猩猩).
In one experiment, the researchers took all 200 items that Rico is supposed to know and divided them into 20 groups of 10 objects. Then the owner told the dog to go and fetch one of the items and bring it back. In four tests, Rico got 37 out of 40 commands right. As the dog couldn’t see anyone to get clues, the scientists believe Rico must understand the meanings of certain words.
In another experiment, the scientists took one toy that Rico had never seen before and put it in a room with seven toys whose names the dog already knew. The owner then told Rico to fetch the object, using a word the dog had never heard before.
The correct object was chosen in seven out of l0 tests, suggesting that the dog had worked out the answer by process of elimination(排除法). A month later, Rico remembered half of the new names, which is even more impressive.
Rico is thought to be smarter than the average dog. For one thing, Rico is a border collie, a breed (品种)known for its mental abilities. In addition, the 9-year-old dog has been trained to fetch toys by their names since the age of nine months.
It’s hard to know if all dogs understand at least some of the words we say. Even if they do, they can’t talk back. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to sweet-talk your dog every now and then. You might just get a big, wet kiss in return!
1.From paragraph 2 we know that __ .
A. animals are as clever as human beings
B. all dogs are smarter than parrots and chimpanzees
C. chimpanzees have very good word-learning skills
D. all dogs have similar learning abilities as 3-year-old children
2.Both experiments show that .
A. Rico is smart enough to get all commands right
B. Rico can recognize different things including toys
C. Rico has developed the ability of learning mathematics
D. Rico won’t forget the names of objects once recognizing them
3.Which of the following statements is true?
A. The purpose of the experiments is to show the border collie’s mental abilities.
B. Rico has a better memory partly because of its proper early training.
C. The border collie is world-famous for recognizing objects.
D. Rico is born to understand its owner’s commands.
4.What does the writer want to tell us?
A. To train your dog.
B. To talk to your dog.
C. To be friendly to your dog.
D. To be careful with your dog.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
On June 17, 1774, the officials from Maryland and Virginia held a talk with the Indians of the Six Nations. The Indians were invited to send boys to William and Mary College. In a letter the next day they refused the offer as follows:
We know that you have a high opinion of the kind of learning taught in your colleges, and that the costs of living of our young men, while with you, would be very expensive to you. We are convinced that you mean to do us good by your proposal; and we thank you heartily. But you must know that different nations have different ways of looking at things, and you will therefore not be offended if our ideas of this kind of education happen not to be the same as yours. We have had some experience of it. Several of our young people were formerly brought up at the college of the northern provinces: they were taught all your sciences; but when they came back to us, they were bad manners, ignorant of every means of living in the woods – they were totally good for nothing.
We are, however, not the less obliged by your kind offer, though we refuse to accept it; and, to show our grateful sense of it, if the gentlemen of Virginia will send us a dozen of their sons, we will take care of their education, teach them all we know, and make men of them.
1.The passage is about ____.
A. the talk between the Indians and the officials
B. the colleges of the northern provinces
C. the educational values of the Indians
D. the problems of the Americans in the mid-eighteen century
2.The Indian chief’s purpose of writing the letter seems to be to ____.
A. express their opinions on equal treatment
B. politely refuse a friendly offer
C. show their pride
D. describe Indian customs
3.According to the letter, the Indians believed that ____.
A. it would be better for their boys to receive some schooling
B. they were being insulted by the offer
C. they knew more about science than the officials
D. they had better way of educating young men
4.Different from the officials’ view of education, the Indians thought ____.
A. young women should also be educated
B. they had different goals of education
C. they taught different branches of science
D. they should teach the sons of the officials first
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Have you ever heard of Paynes Prairie? It is one of the most important natural and historical areas in Florida. Paynes Prairie is located near Gainesville. It is large, 21,000 acres. This protected land is called a preserve. The Florida Park Service manages the preserve.
The Paynes Prairie basin was formed when limestone dissolved and the ground settled. It is covered by marsh(沼泽)and wet prairie vegetation. There are areas of open water. During brief periods it has flooded enough to be considered a lake. Except for that, the basin has changed little through time.
Man has lived on Paynes Prairie a very long time. He lived there as far back as 10,000 B. C. At one time, the Seminoles lived there. The prairie is thought to have been named after King Payne, a Seminole chief. During the late 1600s, the largest cattle ranch in Florida was on Paynes Prairie. Today, Paynes Prairie is preserved land. It is occupied by visitors and Florida Park Service employees.
Willam Bartram visited Paynes Praire. Bartram was the first person who portrayed (described) nature through personal experience as well as scientific observation. He lived 200 years ago. He visited Paynes Prairie in 1774. At that time he described it. He called Paynes Prairie the “great Alachua Savannah.”
Most of the animal life, which Bartram described, is still here. A large number of sandhill cranes, hawks and waterfowl are here in winter. The animal diversity is increased by the presence of pine flatwoods, hammock, swamps and ponds.
The Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park is open year round. The Florida Park Service works hard so that the park will appear as it did in the past. It offers many opportunities for recreation. At the park you can camp and picnic. You can hike and bike. You can boat and fish. You can ride on horse trails. And you can see lots of nature and wildlife. You can see Florida as it was in the early days.
Paynes Prairie is a part of our Florida history. It is an example of our Florida natural resources. It is a place for recreation. Paynes Prairie is an important experience of the Real Florida.
1.How was the Paynes Prairie basin formed?
A. By the Seminole Indians.
B. By the Florida Park Service.
C. From dissolved limestone and the ground settling.
D. From lots of flooding and wet prairie vegetation.
2.The underlined word “diversity” means “ .”
A. variety B. society C. population D. area
3.All of the following are true EXCEPT that __ .
A. Paynes Prairie has changed little through time
B. Paynes Prairie is covered by wet prairie grasses
C. there used to be a big cattle farm on Paynes Prairie
D. William Bartram was the first person to visit Paynes Prairie
4.The purpose of the passage is to .
A. call on people to protect widlife
B. attract people to this preserved park
C. show you the formation of Paynes Prairie
D. introduce the recorded history of Paynes Prairie
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
__1.__. Being angry doesn’t really solve much, but what people do when they feel angry is important. The goal is to calm down and try to solve what is bothering you. This is hard for some kids and adults, too. Instead of calming down, some kids might keep getting more and more upset until they explode like a volcano!
__2.__. Their anger might be so strong that they lose control of their temper. They may act in ways unacceptable and hurtful. People may say that someone has trouble controlling their temper. __3.___.
Some kids might get so angry that they scream at their parents, break something, or even worse, hit their brothers or sisters. __4.___. However, it’s not OK for a kid to do any of those things. Kids don’t want to act in this way, but sometimes angry feelings can be hard to manage. So what to do?
Well, the good news is that kids don’t just have to keep making the same mistakes over and over again. __5.___ . Imagine your temper as a puppy inside you that needs some training. The puppy is not bad ---- it will probably turn out a great dog. It just needs to learn some rules because, right now, that puppy is causing some problems to you.
A. You can train you temper
B. You don’t want to cause trouble
C. Kids should be allowed to express their feelings, even angry ones
D. Everybody gets angry sometimes
E. In fact, they usually mean that a kid behaves badly when feeling angry
F. Instead of thinking of the person you’re angry with, think of something else
G. Some kids get angry more often or more easily than some other kids
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下在短文，从短文后各题的ABCD四个选项中，选出适合填入对应空白处的最佳选项。
A woman in her sixties lived alone in her little cottage with a pear tree at her door. She spent all her time taking care of the tree. But the children nearby drove her by making fun of her. They would climb her tree and then run away with pears, “Aunty Misery” at her.
One evening, a passer-by asked to for the night. Seeing that he had an face, she let him in and gave him a nice . The next morning the stranger, actually a sorcerer (巫师), thanked her by granting (允准) her that anyone who climbed up her tree not be able to come back down until she it.
When the children came back to steal her , she had them stuck on the tree. They had to beg her long she gave the tree permission to let go. Aunty Misery was free from the at last.
One day another man her door. This one did not look trustworthy to her, she asked who he was. “I am Death. I’ve come to take you me,” said he.
Thinking fast Aunty Misery said, “Fine, but I’d like to some pears from my pear tree to remember the it brought to me in this life. But I am too to climb high to get the best fruit. Will you be so as to do it for me?” With a deep sigh, Mr. Death climbed up the tree _ and was immediately stuck to it. No matter how much he warned or begged, Aunty Misery would not allow the tree to let Death go.
1.A. hopeless B. painful C. dull D. crazy
2.A. calling B. shouting C. announcing D. whispering
3.A. stay B. live C. hide D. lie
4.A. interesting B. honest C. anxious D. angry
5.A. gift B. kiss C. treat D. smile
6.A. suggestion B. advice C. permission D. wish
7.A. could B. should C. might D. must
8.A. permitted B. promised C. answered D. declared
9.A. branch B. food C. tree D. fruit
10.A. after B. while C. since D. before
11.A. it B. them C. him D. her
12.A. trick B. question C. trouble D. difficulty
13.A. stepped into B. left for C. stopped at D. walked around
14.A. so B. but C. although D. because
15.A. with B. off C. upon D. for
16.A. choose B. pick C. shake D. hit
17.A. honor B. pleasure C. hope D. excitement
18.A. light B. short C. old D. thin
19.A. proud B. kind C. fine D. smart
20.A. disappointedly B. cheerfully C. unwillingly D. Eagerly
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
In the toy section, I noticed a small boy of about five years old, pressing a doll against his chest. He kept on touching1.________hair of the doll and looked very sad. I wondered who he wanted to give the doll 2._________. So I walked towards him and asked him all about it. “It is the doll3._____ my sister loved most and wanted so much for this Christmas. She was so sure that Santa Claus would bring it to her.”
I told him not 4._________ (worry). However, he replied sadly, “No, Santa Claus cannot bring it to 5._________she is now. I’ll have to give the doll to my mother so that she can give it to her when she goes there.” His eyes were filled with 6.________ (sad) while saying this. “My sister 7.______ (go) to be with God. Daddy said that Mommy will also join God very soon, so I think that she can bring the doll with 8._________ to give it to my sister.”
My heart almost stopped9.________ (beat) wholly. The little boy looked up at me and said, “I told Daddy to tell Mommy not to go yet. I asked him to wait 10._________ I come back from the store.”
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
短文改错（共10题；每小题1分，满分10分）
Last winter vacation, some of my classmates decide to travel with their friends, while I chose to take part-job to gain experiences and earn some money. I learned from my teacher that a nearby company was looking after students with good handwriting to write addresses on envelope. The pay were 10 cents per envelope. I headed for the company, feeling sure I would easy finish 300 envelopes in five hours and to earn the money. Actually, I only finished 200. Now I fully understand how hard is to earn money. Getting out of the classroom is indeed necessary for we all.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
根据中文提示和英文书信内容，写一封意思连贯、符合逻辑、100词左右的回信。信的开头和结尾已给出，其字数不计入所完成的回信内。
假设你叫李琳。你的加拿大网友Elizabeth最近遇到了一些不开心的事情。阅读她发给你的e-mail，然后根据她的问题给她写一封回信，谈谈你的看法，同时提出一些建议。
| Dear friend, I’m really unhappy now because my parents always make me stay at home and study every night during the week. They say that I must study hard for my exams. But in my opinion, I don’t have to work so hard all the time. I have problems on weekends, too On weekends I can go out with my friends, but I have to be home before 20:00. It’s crazy! They don’t want me to go to parties, either. They say it won’t do good for my studies. What should I do? Can you give me some suggestions? Elizabeth |
难度: 中等查看答案及解析