Perhaps every older generation since ancient times has complained about young people, and today is no different. Isn’t it obvious that kids these days are self-absorbed social network addicts?
However, this summer, my impression of today’s kids has been restored by the story of Rachel Beckwith. She could teach my generation a great deal about maturity (成熟) and unselfishness — even though she’s just 9 years old, or was when she died on July 23.
At age 5, Rachel had her long hair cut off and sent to Locks of Love, which uses hair donations to make artificial hair for children who have lost their own hair because of cancer or other diseases. After that, Rachel announced that she would grow her hair long again and donate it again. And that’s what she did.
Then when she was 8 years old, her church began raising money to build wells in Africa through an organization called “charity: water”. Rachel was astonished when she learned that other children had no clean water, so she skipped her ninth birthday party. Rachel set up a birthday page on the charity: water website with a target of $300. Instead of presents, she asked her friends to donate $9 each to charity: water. Finally Rachel raised only $220 — which had left her just a bit disappointed.
Then, on July 20, a serious traffic accident left Rachel critically injured. Church members and friends, seeking some way of showing support, began donating on Rachel’s birthday page — charitywater.org/Rachel — and donations reached her $300 goal, and kept rising.
When it was clear that Rachel would never regain consciousness, the family decided to remove the life-support machine. Her parents donated her hair for the final time to Locks of Love, and her organs to other children.
Word spread about Rachel’s last fund-raiser (募捐行动). Contributions poured in, often they donated $9. The total donations soon topped $100,000, then $300,000.
This is a story not just of one girl, but of a young generation of outstanding problem-solvers working creatively.
小题1:Which of the following is TRUE of Rachel?| A．She died at the age of 8. | B．She was a cancer patient. | | C．She was a warm-hearted girl. | D．She founded Locks of Love. |
小题2:The underlined word “skipped” in Paragraph 4 probably means “ ”.| A．put off | B．gave up | C．expected | D．planned |
小题3:According to the text, Rachel set up the birthday page to .| A．make more new friends | | B．call on people to donate hair | | C．ask her friends to send her gifts | | D．raise money to help African children |
小题4:How does the author feel about the young generation now?| A．Worried | B．Critical. | C．Appreciative. | D．Doubtful |
小题5:What would be the best title for the text?| A．Rachel’s last fund-raiser | | B．Rachel and her birthday page | | C．Kids are addicted to social networks. | | D．What’s wrong with the young generation? |
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小题1:C
小题2:B
小题3:D
小题4:C
小题5:A |
文章通过一个善良的女孩子的慈善行为告诉我们新一代的年轻人也是非常有爱心的，也是非常有希望的。
小题1:推理题。根据文章所讲述她捐头发，筹集资金为非洲人打井等等行为说明她是一个热心肠的人。根据文章可知ABD都是错误的。
小题2:词义辨析题。根据下文Instead of presents, she asked her friends to donate $9 each to charity可知她放弃为自己举办生日聚会。而是为这一慈善组织建立了一个网页来筹集资金。
小题3:细节题。根据第4段第4行内容Rachel set up a birthday page on the charity: water website with a target of $300.
小题4:推理题。根据文章最后一段内容尤其是outstanding problem-solvers working creatively. 可以推断作者对于年轻的一代是非常欣赏的。
小题5:主旨大意题。文章通过讲述这个善良的女孩子的慈善行为告诉我们新一代的年轻人也是非常有爱心的。A项所讲Rachel’s last fund-raiser 更能表达这个主题。要特别注意B项，概括性不够。 |
核心考点
试题【Perhaps every older generation since ancient times has complained about young pe】；主要考察你对
题材分类等知识点的理解。
[详细]举一反三
The other day, I received a most unexpected message in response to one of my essays: I am so proud of you and all you have accomplished. I shared your opinion …
It was signed Margaret Leibfried, who was my English teacher — a teacher who appeared at a vital (关键) point in my life and helped me believe that I could become a writer.
Thirty years ago, I entered high school as an introvert (性格内向的人) made all the more shy because I was the school’s only nonwhite student. I always felt in danger of being swept away by a sea of tall white athletes. I spent a lot of time alone, reading and writing stories, hoping to escape being teased.
Ms. Leibfried taught American literature and composition grammar, which involved the usual memorizing vocabulary, but also, thrillingly, reading novels.
Thrilling to me, that is. Many of my classmates expressed dislike for novels because they were “not real.” For once, I didn’t care what they thought. Ms. Leibfried seemed to notice my interest in both reading and writing, and she took the time to make me feel less shy; she even offered me reading suggestions, like one of her favorite novels, “The Bell Jar.”
That year’s big project was a book report, to be read aloud to the class. However, Ms. Leibfried suggested I do something “a little different.” Instead of a report, I chose a passage from “The Bell Jar” that I considered as the best to recite.
The morning of the presentations, I remember my hands sweating so badly as I walked to the front of the class that I kept my hands crossed, so I wouldn’t wipe them on my blouse.
When I finished, to my surprise, the class applauded. “Marie has picked out a particularly sensitive piece of writing and delivered it beautifully,” Ms. Leibfried said, smiling. I felt, maybe for the first time, confident.
小题1:What was the author’s high school life like before she met Ms. Leibfried?| A．Lonely. | B．Exciting. | C．Wild. | D．Busy |
小题2:In Paragraph 5, the author mainly tells us .| A．how she cared what her classmates thought | | B．when she became interested in “The Bell Jar” | | C．why many of her classmates disliked novels | | D．how Ms. Leibfried helped and encouraged her |
小题3:Why did Ms. Leibfried ask the author to recite a passage in front of the class?| A．To test whether she had a good memory. | | B．To make her earn the respect of her classmates. | | C．To help deepen her understanding of “The Bell Jar.” | | D．To guide her to build a good relationship with others. |
小题4:How did the author feel when she made the presentation?| A．Comfortable. | B．sad. | C．Nervous. | D．Confident. |
小题5:What was the author’s purpose in writing the text?| A．To express her thanks to her teacher. | | B．To discuss the issue of racial prejudice (偏见). | | C．To introduce one of her favorite books. | | D．To suggest the ways to gain confidence. |
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Tony Burke, Australia’s environment minister, says he won’t decide until next year whether the koala should be protected as an endangered species. He was expected to make his decision by the end of October. But that decision has been put off. Burke said he needed more time to go over the latest information about the koala’s population.
In September, an Australian Senate committee reported that there was no question the koala’s population is on the decrease. “But they may not yet be eligible (符合条件) for listing as a threatened species,” said Senator Doug Cameron. “To have such a significant Australian icon(偶像) included on the threatened species list would be a national shame.”
The koala is found only in the eucalyptus (桉树) forests of Australia. And its population is reported to have fallen sharply for many reasons, including the cutting down of forests to make way for human beings’ development, their own illness, climate change and killings by other animals such as wild dogs. And every year many koalas are hit by cars as they are trying to cross the busy roads.
Putting off the decision on protection for the koala “is really bad news,” said Debbie Pointing, the president of the Koala Action Group. “We’ve worked tirelessly for many years to gather data on the populations,” Pointing said. “That data should be enough to make a decision.”
However, Burke pointed out that the Australian government had spent at least $6.3 million on koala conservation efforts since 1996. senators listed efforts that are already underway in Queensland – the construction of special koala bridges as well as fences along roads, to keep the animals out of harm’s way.
Some people say that is not enough. “What we’re doing at the moment is likely to drive this species to extinction,” Queensland University zoologist Bill Ellis said.
“Koalas are an iconic Australian animal,” Burke told Australians. “They hold a special place in the hearts of Australians.”
But it is a fact that if more isn’t done to protect the koala, they might soon hold a place only in Australians’ memories.
小题1:Tony Burke put off announcing the koala as an endangered species because .| A．he needed more time to examine latest information | | B．he doubted whether koalas’ number is decreasing | | C．he was thinking about ways to protect koalas | | D．he had more important issues to deal with |
小题2:What is Paragraph 3 mainly about?| A．The habitat of the koala. | | B．Australia’s traffic problems. | | C．The importance of koalas for Australians. | | D．Reasons for the decrease of the koala population. |
小题3:According to the text, Debbie Pointing thinks that .| A．the construction of special koala bridges is of little use | | B．the government should announce the koala as an endangered species | | C．the government is to blame for the decreasing koala population | | D．koala are becoming less important in Australians’ hearts |
小题4:It can be learned from the text that Tony Burke .| A．decided to construct more fences along roads | | B．called on Australians to take care of the koala | | C．thought the government has done much for koalas | | D．was optimistic about the koalas’ future |
小题5:What is the main idea of the text?| A．Australia puts off the decision on whether the koala is endangered. | | B．Australia is taking special measures to protect koalas. | | C．The population of koalas is reducing rapidly. | | D．Australians are concerned about koalas. |
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“Big boys don’t cry.” I heard those words a lot 36 up in America in the late sixties and early seventies. In those days men were expected to be 37 and rugged and never shed a tear no matter what. Our 38 were all stone faced cowboys who were too 39 to cry. Believing this then I tried my best 40 to cry at all during my teenage and early adult years.
All that changed, 41 , as I was driving home alone one night shortly after my Mom 42 . It was dark and raining outside. I was struggling to 43 the car on the road while at the same time 44 to hold the tears back in my eyes. I remember almost going off the road twice as I blinked back (眨眼控制) the salty water that was burning my 45 and blurring (使模糊) my vision. My hands shook, my heart 46 , and my soul felt dead. 47 I could do it no longer. I stopped, pulled over, lay my head on the steering wheel, and 48 . I cried until the tears couldn’t fall anymore. I cried until the pain that I was holding onto so 49 finally fled my heart.
After that night I 50 something. Big boys do cry. 51 , it is the biggest hearts that cry the most. I realized too that it is our 52 that can release us from our anger and our grief while 53 us to our love and our God. Tears help us to embrace this often bittersweet life. They help us to keep growing 54 to each other in love and joy instead of 55 ourselves up in dull, aching, and lonely hearts.
| 小题1: | | A．hurrying | B．growing | C．rising | D．getting |
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| 小题2: | | A．tough | B．cold | C．independent | D．active |
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| 小题3: | | A．leaders | B．neighbors | C．heroes | D．fathers |
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| 小题4: | | A．strict | B．strong | C．stubborn | D．eager |
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| 小题5: | | A．still | B．always | C．hardly | D．never |
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| 小题6: | | A．otherwise | B．therefore | C．however | D．instead |
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| 小题7: | | A．left | B．died | C．returned | D．disappeared |
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| 小题9: | | A．hopping | B．learning | C．managing | D．struggling |
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| 小题10: | | A．arms | B．feet | C．eyes | D．hairs |
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| 小题11: | | A．hurt | B．sank | C．froze | D．stopped |
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| 小题12: | | A．Actually | B．Finally | C．Naturally | D．Immediately |
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| 小题13: | | A．faded | B．slept | C．rested | D．cried |
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| 小题14: | | A．secretly | B．carefully | C．strongly | D．firmly |
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| 小题15: | | A．realized | B．picked | C．gained | D．lost |
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| 小题16: | | A．At least | B．In fact | C．In all | D．As usual |
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| 小题17: | | A．love | B．sweat | C．tears | D．relation |
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| 小题18: | | A．helping | B．changing | C．removing | D．reconnecting |
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| 小题19: | | A．closer | B．higher | C．richer | D．shorter |
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| 小题20: | | A．catching | B．shutting | C．picking | D．wrapping |
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There is a very special wolf that lives in Africa. They are actually called, the African wild dog, of painted dogs.
These animals live in open woodlands, or in the plains of Africa. Today, however, most of the animals can be found in eastern or southern Africa. These animals are beautiful. They have rounded ears instead of pointed like most dogs, and they have four toes (脚趾) on each of their four feet, also a unique characteristic because other dogs have five. Their fine fur is always different from each other. The fur is usually a combination of black, brown, red, and white, and sometimes even yellow. No wonder they’re called the painted wolf.
The African wild dog is a very social animal. They live in groups and have numbers from five to about twenty. The members of a group are always very close to one another. They communicate in their own language or body language. When someone is very old or sick, the others will help, and they are willing to share the food with the elders and with those who are weak, which is what we should learn from.
The family does everything together, from raising young, to sleeping together, to hunting. When they hunt, they will work together suing team work to kill animals that are larger than them.
They sometimes hunt farm animals. This is unfortunate, because both poachers (偷猎者), and people who own farms shoot the painted dogs who are just trying to survive.
Before, there used to be many large groups throughout the land, but now the African wild god is very rare. They are also losing their population because of their own loss of habitat thanks to human’s farming and forest cutting.
小题1:From the text we learn that the African wild dog .| A．lives in the north of Africa | | B．has sixteen toes altogether | | C．has pointed ears like most dogs | | D．lives in forests in groups |
小题2:Why do African wild dogs get the name “painted dogs”?| A．They all have colorful fur. | | B．The dogs in the same group are of different colors. | | C．Artists love to paint them in different colors. | | D．None of them has the same color. |
小题3:According to the author, what should we learn from African wild dogs?| A．They always do everything together. | | B．They help the sick, the elderly and the weak. | | C．They are always very close to one another. | | D．They communicate in their own language. |
小题4:Which of the following is NOT the reason why African wild dogs are becoming very rare?| A．Poachers kill some of them. | | B．They are short of food sometimes. | | C．They are losing their habitat. | | D．Farmers shoot some of them. |
小题5:Where could this passage probably be found?| A．The Travelers | B．Fashion Weekly | C．Animal World | D．Star Magazine |
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Half a century after the March of Dimes (a US charity organization that collects money for children) put the 20th century’s most feared childhood disease on the road to eradication (根除), Bill Gates declared polio (小儿麻痹症) his important job and challenged world leaders to finish the job.
India, Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan now have active transmission (传播) of the disease. Gates says the biggest problem with the success of the Global Polio Eradication program in those countries and elsewhere is lack of money.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation plans to increase its $200 million annual contribution (每年的捐款) by $102 million this year, Gates says. Gates recently met privately with Pakistan’s President in Washington, D.C., to try to persuade him to provide full support for Pakistan’s eradication plan.
Children in the USA also are at risk, experts say. Parents who don’t vaccinate (给某人接种疫苗) their children because they are fearful of vaccine side-effects create a large number of children who are likely to be harmed by the virus.
“If you increase the number of unvaccinated children, you increase the chance that this virus will find new subjects,” says David Oshinsky, Pulitzer Prized-winning author of Polio: An American Story.
“We’ve got to get this vaccine into the mouths of children,” says Bruce Aylward, head of the World Health Organization’s eradication program.
In 1988, when the World Health Organization launched the Global Polio Eradication program, the disease killed 350,000 children a year worldwide. By last year, the total dropped to fewer than 1,500 worldwide, Aylward says.
If Gates provides the final push for polio eradication, he may be remembered as much for helping prevent polio as for founding Microsoft, Oshinsky says.
“As long as there’s polio anywhere, people everywhere are at risk,” Aylawrd says. “We’re still not out of the woods.”
小题1:According to the text, the success of the Global Polio Eradication program mainly depends on .| A．the World Health Organization’s policy | | B．the development of a new vaccine | | C．the local governments’ support | | D．the collection of funds. |
小题2:What do we know about polio according to the text?| A．People in Nigeria don’t take it seriously. | | B．It’s now the most serious childhood disease. | | C．Great progress has been made in preventing it. | | D．There are few organizations helping to prevent it. |
小题3:According to Oshinsky, .| A．Gates should devote more time to Microsoft | | B．polio eradication is a very important cause | | C．vaccine side-effects should not be ignored | | D．polio has been brought under control |
小题4:According to the passage, which of the following about Bill Gates is TRUE?| A．He is the founder of the Global polio Eradication program. | | B．He persuades some of the world leaders to support the eradication plan. | | C．His foundation contributes $302, 000 to eradicate polio every year. | | D．He works harder on preventing polio than founding Microsoft. |
小题5:The underlined part “We’re still not out of the woods” means “ ”.| A．We get lost in the woods | B．We’re not free from trouble | | C．we have no idea where to go | D．We’re unable to eradicate polio |
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