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On a sunny day last August, Tim heard some shouting. Looking out to the sea carefully, he saw a couple of kids in a rowboat were being pulled out to sea.
Two 12-year-old boys, Christian and Jack, rowed out a boat to search for a football. Once they’d rowed beyond the calm waters, a beach umbrella tied to the boat caught the wind and pulled the boat into open water. The pair got frightened and tried to row back to shore(海滨). But they were no match for it and the boat was out of control.
Tim knew it would soon be swallowed by the waves.
“Everything went quiet in my head,” Tim recalls. “I’m trying to figure out how to swim to the boys in a straight line.”
Tim took off his clothes and jumped into the water. Every 500 yards or so, he raised his head to judge his progress. “At one point, I considered turning back,” he says. “I wondered if I was putting my life in danger.” After 30 minutes of struggling, he was close enough to shout to the boys, “Take down the umbrella!”
“Let’s aim for the pier（码头）,” Jack said. Tim turned the boat toward it. Soon afterward, waves crashed over the boat, and it began to sink. “Can you guys swim?” he cried. “A little bit,” the boys said.
Once they were in the water, Tim decided it would be safer and faster for him to pull the boys toward the pier. Christian and Jack were wearing life jackets and floated on their backs. Tim swam toward land as water washed over the boys’ faces.
“Are we almost there?” they asked again and again. “Yes,” Tim told them each time.
After 30 minutes, they reached the pier.
1.Why did the two boys go to the sea?
A. To test the umbrella as a sail. B. To swim in the open water.
C. To get back their football. D. To go boat rowing.
2.What does “it” in Paragraph 2 refer to?
A. The wind B. The water C. The boat D. The beach
3.How can the two boys finally reach the pier?
A. They swam to the pier all by themselves.
B. They were pulled to the pier by Tim.
C. They were washed to the pier by the waves.
D. They were carried to the pier by Tim on his back.
4.Which is the best title of the text?
A. How to save people on sea B. Brave Rescue of kids on Sea
C. An Unforgettable Experience D. Careless Kids in Danger
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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Does Being Famous Drive You Crazy?
Although being famous might sound like a dream come true, today’s star, feeling like zoo animals, face pressures that few of us can imagine. They are at the center of much of the world’s attention. Paparazzi (狗仔队) camp outside their homes, cameras ready. Tabloids (小报) publish thrilling stories about their privacy. Just imagine not being able to do anything without being photographed or interrupted for a signature!
According to psychologist Christina Villarreal, celebrities — famous people — worry constantly about their public appearance. In the end, they start to lose track of who they really are, seeing themselves the way their fans imagine them, not as the people they were before everyone knew their names. “Over time,” Villarreal says, “they feel separated and alone.”
The phenomenon of following celebrities has been around for ages. In the 4th century B.C., painters followed Alexander the Great into battle, hoping to picture his victories for his admirers. When Charles Dickens visited America in the 19th century, his sold-out readings attracted thousands of fans, leading him to complain about his lack of privacy. Tabloids of the 1920s and 1930s ran articles about film-stars in much the same way that modern tabloids and websites do.
Being a public figure today, however, is a lot more difficult than it used to be. Superstars cannot move about without worrying about photographers with modern cameras. When they say something silly or do something ridiculous, there is always the Internet to spread the news in minutes and keep their “story” alive forever.
If fame is so troublesome, why aren’t all celebrities running away from it? The answer is there are still ways to deal with it. Some stars stay calm by surrounding themselves with trusted friends and family or by escaping to remote places away from big cities. They focus not on how famous they are but on what they love to do or whatever made them famous in the first place.
Sometimes a few celebrities can get a little justice（正义）. Still, even stars who enjoy full justice often complain about how hard their lives are. They are tired of being famous already.
1.It can be learned from the passage that stars today _________.
A. spend too much on their public appearance
B. are often misunderstood by the public
C. can no longer have their privacy protected
D. care little about how they have become famous
2.What is the main idea of Paragraph 3?
A. The problem faced by celebrities has a long history.
B. Great heroes of the past were generally admired.
C. Works of popular writers often have a lot of readers.
D. Well-known actors are usually targets of tabloids.
3.What makes it much harder to be a celebrity today?
A. There are huge population of fans.
B. They get little support from society.
C. They get few good opportunities.
D. Many modern ways of getting news are being used.
4.What is the author’s attitude toward modern celebrity?
A. Sincere. B. Doubting C. Supporting. D. Disagreeing.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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How words came into being is unknown. All we assume（推测）is that some early men invented certain sounds, in one way or another, to express thoughts and feelings, actions and things, so that they could talk with each other. Later they agreed upon certain signs, called letters, which could be put together to show those sounds, and which could be written down. Those sounds, whether spoken or written in letters, are called words.
The
power of words, then, lies in their associations - the things they bring up to our minds. Words become filled with meaning for us by experience; and the longer we live, the more certain words bring back to us the happy and sad events of our past; and the more we read and learn, the more the number of words that mean something to us increases.Great writers are those who not only have great thoughts but also express these thoughts in words which have powerful effects on our minds and feelings. This clever use of words is what we call literary style（文体）. Above all, the real poet is a master of words. He can express his meaning in words which sing like music and which by their position and association can move men to tears. We should therefore learn to choose our words carefully and use them correctly, or they will make our speech silly and common.
1.We learn from the text that language might have begun with
A. actions B. expressions C. sounds D. signs
2.What is mainly discussed in Paragraph 2?
A. The relation of human experience with words.
B. The gradual change and development of words.
C. The learning of new words.
D. The importance of old words.
3.In the last paragraph, what does the author suggest that we should do?
A. Associate with listeners. B. Make musical speeches.
C. Learn poems by heart. D. Use words skillfully.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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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。选项中有两项为多余选项。
Forgiveness
To forgive is a virtue, but no one has ever said it is easy. When someone has deeply hurt you, it can be extremely difficult to let go of your hate. However, forgiveness is possible, and it can be surprisingly good for your physical and mental health. People who forgive show less sadness, anger and stress and more hopefulness, according to a recent research.
1. Try the following steps:
Calm yourself. 2. You can take a couple of breaths and think of something that gives you pleasure: a beautiful scene in nature, or someone you love.
Don’t wait for an apology. Many times the person who hurt you does not intend to apologize. They may have wanted to hurt you or they just don’t see things the same way. 3. Keep in mind that forgiveness does not necessarily mean becoming friends again with the person who upset you.
Take the control away from your offender(冒犯者). Rethinking about your hurt gives power to the person who caused you pain. Instead of focusing on your wounded feelings, learn to look for the love, beauty and kindness around you.
4. If you understand your offender, you may realize that he or she was acting out of unawareness, fear, and even love. You may want to write a letter to yourself from your offender’s point of view.
Don’t forget to forgive yourself. 5. But it can rob you of your self-confidence if you don’t do it.
A. Why should you forgive?
B. For some people, forgiving themselves is the biggest challenge.
C. Recognize the benefits of forgiveness.
D. Try to see things from your offender’s point of view.
E. How should you start to forgive?
F. If you wait for people to apologize, you could be waiting an awfully long time.
G. To make your anger die away; try a simple stress-management skill.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
power of words, then, lies in their associations - the things they bring up to our minds. Words become filled with meaning for us by experience; and the longer we live, the more certain words bring back to us the happy and sad events of our past; and the more we read and learn, the more the number of words that mean something to us increases.