Lie in bed, by an open window, and listen…“No air conditioning? How can you slee

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Lie in bed, by an open window, and listen…
“No air conditioning? How can you sleep?” a friend asks, horrified. I tell her my family has decided to shut the air conditioner off and reduce our electric bill. On this first night of our cost-cutting plan, it’s only 85 degrees. We’re going to suffer, but the three kids complain anyway.
They have grown up in 72-degree comfort, protected from the world outside.
“It’s too hot to sleep,” my 13-year-old daughter complains. “I’m about to die from this heat,” her brother complains down the hall. “Just try it tonight,” I tell them. In truth I’m too tired to turn for long. My face is sweaty, but I lie quietly listening to the cricket choirs outside that remind me of childhood.
The neighbor’s dog howls. Probably a passing squirrel. It’s been years since I took the time to really listen to the night.
I think about grandma, who lived to 92 and still helped with my mom’s gardening until just a few weeks before she died. And then, I’m back there at her house in the summer heat of my childhood. I move my pillow to the foot of grandma’s bed and turn my face toward the open window. I turn the pillow, hunting for the cooler side.
Grandma saw me turn over and over. “If you just watch for the breeze(清风),” she said, “you’ll cool off and fall asleep.” I stare at the filmy white curtain, willing it to move. Lying still, waiting, I suddenly notice the life outside the window. The bug chorus. Neighbors, porch(门廊)-sitting late, speak in unclear words that calm me.
“Mom, did you hear that?” my seven-year-old son cries, “I think it was an owl(猫头鹰)family.”
“Probably,” I tell him, “just keep listening…”
Without the working air conditioner, the house is peaceful, and the natural night noises seem close enough to touch. I hope I’m awake tonight when the first breeze comes in.
小题1:On the first night of the writer’s cost-cutting plan, her children ______.

A．live a comfortable life as usual

B．begin to be unhappy

C．are protected from the world outside

D．are about to die from the heat

小题2:The author talks about her grandmother and her childhood to show that ______.

A．people used to live a hard life

B．people at that time were hardworking

C．it’s OK for people to live a simple life

D．she has learned a great deal from her grandma

小题3:In the writer’s eyes, her children are ______.

A．free from parents’ protection

B．full of dissatisfaction with life

C．dependable because of parents’ love

D．lacking in real test of hardships in life

小题4:Which of the following titles best suits the passage?

A．Waiting for the Breeze.

B．An Interesting Experience.

C．Life at Present and Life in the Past.

D．Different Times, Different Children

答案

小题1:B
小题2:C
小题3:D
小题4:A

解析

文章讲述作者在夏天不开空调让孩子体验生活的艰难，也通过回忆奶奶和自己的童年在说明没有现代设备，我们一样可以活得很好！
小题1:细节题。根据第四段第一行“It’s too hot to sleep,” my 13-year-old daughter complains. “I’m about to die from this heat。
小题2:推理题。作者提及自己的奶奶和童年为了向大家说明人们以前没有空调等现代设备一样过得很好。
小题3:推理题。作者这样做就是为了让孩子们体验生活的艰难。
小题4:主旨大意题。文章讲述作者在夏天不开空调让孩子体验生活的艰难，也通过回忆奶奶和自己的童年在说明没有现代设备，我们一样可以活得很好！本题可以利用排除法，BCD和文章根本不搭，A项可以在文章最后一句看出来。

举一反三

We were driving on the right road when, all of a sudden, a black car pulled out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver stepped on his brake, skidded(打滑), and missed the black car’s back end by just inches! The driver of the black car, who almost caused a major accident, turned his head angrily and started shouting bad words at us.
My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. I mean, my taxi driver was friendly. So, I said, “Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to hospital!” And the following is what my taxi driver told me, which I now call “the law of the Garbage Truck”.
“Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump(倾卸)it. And if you let them, they dump it on you. When someone wants to dump on you, don’t take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish him well, and move on. Believe me. You’ll be happier.”
So this is “The Law of the Garbage Truck”. I started thinking: How often do I let “Garbage Trucks” run right over me? And how often do I take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets? It was then that I said, “I’m not going to do it any more.”
I began to see “Garbage Trucks”. I see the load they’re carrying. I see them coming to drop it off. And like my taxi driver, I don’t make it a personal thing; I just smile, wave, and move on.
Good leaders know they have to be ready for their next meeting. Good parents know that they have to welcome their children home from school with hugs and kisses. What about you? The mark of a successful person is how quickly he can get back his focus on what’s important.
小题1:Who acted like a garbage truck in the accident described in the first two paragraphs?

A．The author.	B．The taxi driver.
C．The driver of the black car.	D．Both drivers.

小题2:The reason why the taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy is that ______.

A．the black car was full of garbage

B．the taxi driver didn’t want his mood ruined

C．the driver of the black car didn’t cause any damage to the taxi

D．the driver of the black car was angry and the taxi driver felt a little frightened

小题3:The underlined part “the load” in Paragraph 5 refers to _____.

A．bad mood

B．excitement

C．new products

D．waste materials

小题4:What is the main idea of the last paragraph?

A．Always be kind and hardworking.

B．Ignore unpleasantness and stick to your tasks.

C．Try to be good leaders as well as good parents.

D．Do things quickly so as to be ready for the next.

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NBA commissioner David Stern was in Orlando on Thursday night, getting ready for Sunday’s All-Star Game. Of course, all he could talk about was the only player anyone wants to talk about these days: New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin.
Hours before Lin took the court against the Heat, a few hundred miles South down I-95 in Miami, Stern told reporters that Lin’s instant popularity hasn’t ever been matched in sports history, not even by Sunday’s biggest names, LeBron James or Kobe Bryant.
The Associated Press had the details.
“I haven’t done a calculation, but it’s fair to say that no player has created the interest and the craze in this short period of time, in any sport, that I’m aware of like Jeremy Lin has,” Stern said Thursday.
Lin, an undrafted(未选秀的)guard from Harvard, has become the NBA’s biggest story since coming off the Knicks’ bench earlier this month to lead them to nine wins in 11 games heading into their matchup with Miami on Thursday night.
With Lin’s popularity in Asia as the league’s first American-born player of Chinese or Taiwanese descent, and with the religious community because of his strong Christian faith, Stern says he’s “never quite seen anything like” the attention on Lin.
“It’s fascinating,” Stern said after the All-Star Jam Session opening ceremonies.
The top five videos on NBA.com since Feb. 4, when Lin joined the circulation, are all Lin or Knicks related. Lin went from 190,000 followers on Sina, China’s version of Twitter, on Feb. 2 to more than 1 million as of Feb. 16.
Indeed, Lin’s popularity is so out of this world that the NBA made a late list switch to ensure his participation in the Rising Stars Challenge on All-Star Saturday, a game that includes the NBA’s best rookies(新秀球员)and sophomores. Lin is in such high demand that all of the game’s other participants will meet with the media following a team practice on Friday while Lin will have his own, separate press conference later in the night.
This is Jeremy’s world, folks. We’re all just living in it. Even David Stern and the rest of the league’s All-Stars, at least for the moment.
小题1:The following statements about Jeremy Lin’s instant popularity are true EXCEPT that ______.

A．Jeremy Lin led New York Knicks to win all the recent games this month

B．David Stern said Lin was the only instant popular player in NBA’s history

C．Lin has become the NBA’s greatest story though he was an undrafted guard

D．no player has created the interest and the enthusiasm in such a short period of time

小题2:Why did Jeremy Lin have so many followers in Asia on Sina, China’s version of Twitter?
A. Because Jeremy Lin was born in Taiwan with strong Christian faith.
B. Maybe because he is the first player born in America but has Chinese descent.
C. Because Sina has a large group of surfing people, maybe more than 10 million.
D. Because the top five videos on NBA. com since Feb. 4 are all Lin or Knicks related.
小题3:The underlined phrase “out of this world” in Paragraph 9 may probably be replaced by ______.

A．impossible

B．important

C．exceptional

D．excellent

小题4:What can we learn from the above passage about Jeremy Lin’s instant popularity?

A．Knowledge starts with practice.	B．Failure is the mother of success.
C．Every dog has its day.	D．No pains, no gains.

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Below are Top 10 Scholarly Stars in America in 2011.
It’s not always about fame and fortune for these celebs – education is a priority in their lives. Find out what scholarly stars have earned degrees and diplomas or are returning to the classroom as you head back to school.
No. 10: James Franco
James has attended FOUR prestigious universities in his life: UCLA, New York University, Columbia University and Yale University. We hear he’s is so serious about school, he missed the Oscar nominations to attend class!
No. 9: Natalie Portman
Natalie Portman is so Ivy League: she graduated from Harvard University in 2003, thanks to her parents, who she says always made sure she put her studies before her acting.
No. 8: Haley Joel Osment
When students at NYU heard Haley Joel would be joining them as a freshman in 2006, they chalked the campus’ sidewalks with his famous Sixth Sense movie line: “I see dead people.”
No. 7: Emma Watson
Although Emma Watson put her education on hold to wrap up the Harry Potter film series, in July 2011 she announced that she was going back to school at Brown University to complete her degree.
No. 6: Dakota and Elle Fanning
Celeb sisters Dakota and Elle Fanning are stars on screen and in class. Dakota was her high school’s homecoming queen two years in a row while Elle, who still attends middle school, somehow manages to balance her acting career with math tests and gym class.
No. 5: Mara Wilson
Mara Wilson graduated from NYU in 2009. Mara, who played the adorable Nattie in Mrs. Doubtfire, eventually grew up and headed to New York to attend NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts; she graduated in 2009.
No. 4: Tyra Banks
Tyra Banks is known for being a savvy businesswoman, but even the best could use some formal training. She enrolled in Harvard Business School in 2011 and even went so far as to live in a dorm with her fellow classmates!
“We live in dorms,” confirmed the TV star. “I have my own room but we share a kitchen, living room and study area. It’s mandatory dorms. I freaked out. In the beginning I was like, ‘Oh yes, I’m going to Harvard and I’ll be at the Four Seasons down the street.’ And they were like, ‘Girl, you’re living in dorms!’”
No. 3: Shakira
Singer Shakira is resting her hips and giving her brain a workout at UCLA, attending classes on the history of western civilization so she could “learn from the best”.
No. 2: Steven Spielberg
Director Steven skipped getting a formal education to be an unpaid intern at Universal Studios, where he learned his tricks of the trade. But eventually he did go back and earned his film degree in 2002.
No. 1: Danica McKellar
Danica McKellar is a math whiz. She used to be known for starring as Winnie Cooper in the Wonder Years, but Danica is also a UCLA graduate, math whiz and education advocate who’s written three best-selling books encouraging middle-school girls to have confidence and succeed in mathematics.
小题1:What Danica McKellar and Natalie Portman share in common is that ________.

A．both put their education in the first place

B．they graduated from the same university

C．the two actresses wrote best-selling books

D．both of them will abandon their acting

小题2:From the above, we can come to the conclusion that ________.

A．Spielberg received a formal film education before he turned director

B．both sisters Dakota and Elle have not finished middle school education

C．Tyra Banks is sharing the same room with her classmates in Harvard

D．Shakira and Haley Joel Osment are studying in university separately

小题3:The underlined word “ trade” in the passage is closest to ________.

A．business

B．corporation

C．studio

D．occupation

小题4:How many stars referred to in the material studied or will go to UCLA?

A．Three.

B．Four.

C．Five.

D．Six.

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An “apple polisher” is one who gives gifts to win friendship or special treatment. It is not exactly a bribe(贿赂),but is close to it.
All sorts of people are apple polishers, including politicians and people in high offices ── just about everybody. Oliver Cromwell, the great English leader, offered many gifts to win the support of George Fox and his party, but failed.
There are other phrases meaning the same thing as “apple-polishing” ── “soft-soaping” or “butter-up”. A gift is just one way to “soft-soap” somebody, or to “butter him up”. Another that is just as effective is flattery, giving someone high praise ── telling him how good he looks, or how well he speaks, or how talented and wise he is.
Endless are the ways of flattery. Who does not love or hear it ? Only an unusual man can resist the thrill of being told how wonderful he is. In truth, flattery is good medicine for most of us, who gets so little of it.
We need it to be more sure of ourselves. It cannot hurt unless we get carried away by it. But we just lap it up for its food value and nourishment, as a cat laps up milk, then we can still remain true to ourselves.
Sometimes, however, flattery will get you nothing from one who has had too much of it. A good example is the famous 12th century legend of King Canute of Denmark and England. The king got tired of listening to the endless sickening flattery of his courtiers（朝臣）.They overpraised him to the skies, as a man of limitless power.
He decided to teach them a lesson. He took them to the seashore and sat down. Then he ordered the waves to stop coming in. The tide was too busy to listen to him. The king was satisfied. This might show his followers how weak his power was and how empty their flattery.
小题1:Which of the following activities has nothing to do with “apple-polishing” ?

A．A boy tells his girlfriend how pretty she looks

B．An employee tells his boss how good he is at management

C．A knight(骑士)is said to be of limitless power by his followers

D．A teacher praised his students for their talent and wisdom.

小题2:Which of the following statement about flattery is TRUE according to the author ?

A．Too much flattery can carry us away

B．Flattery is too empty to do people any good

C．Flattery can get nothing but excessive(过度的)pride

D．Flattery is one of the ways to apple-polish people.

小题3:King Canute of Denmark and England took his followers to the seashore because __________.

A．he was sick of his normal

B．he disliked being overpraised any more

C．he wanted them to realize how wise he was

D．he wanted them to see how weak he was as a king

小题4:The author thinks that flattery can do good to those who _________.

A．are really excellent

B．lack confidence

C．are politicians or in high offices

D．think highly of themselves

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I had to knock on the taxi to get his attention. Finally, the driver, a man about 60, looked up from behind the wheel and apologized, “I’m sorry, but I was reading a letter.” He sounded as if he had a cold or a cough.
Since I was in no hurry, I told him to finish his letter. He shook his head, explaining that he had already read it several times and almost knew it by heart. Curious, I asked whether it was from a child or maybe a grandchild. “This isn’t family,” he replied. “Though he might just as well have been a regular member of the family, Old Ed and I grew up together.”
They were always friends. But since he moved away from the neighborhood 30 years ago, it’d generally just been postcards at Christmas time between them. A couple of weeks ago, Ed died. “I should have kept in touch.” He repeated this, more to himself than to me. To comfort him, I said sometimes we just didn’t seem to find the time. “But we used to find the time,” he said. “Take a look.” He handed the letter over to me.
The first sentence “I’ve been meaning to write for some time, but I’ve always delayed it.” reminded me of myself. It went on to say that he often thought about the good times they had had together. When I read the part where it said “Your friendship really means a lot to me, more than I can say because I’m not good at saying things like that”, I found myself nodding in agreement.
We had gone several kilometers and were almost at my hotel, so I read the last paragraph: “So I thought you’d like to know that I was thinking of you.” And it was ended with “Your Old Friend, Tom.”
“I thought your friend’s name was Ed,” I said.
“I’m Tom,” he explained. “It’s a letter I wrote to Ed before I knew he’d died. I never put it in the mailbox. I guess I should have written it sooner.” His face was pale as he wiped his eyes with a handkerchief.
When I got to my hotel room I didn’t unpack right away. I had to write a letter and post it.
小题1:From Paragraph 4, we learn that the author _______.

A．often fails to write to his friends

B．doesn’t want to write to his friends

C．had many great moments with his friends

D．was good at expressing his feelings to friends

小题2:Who wrote the letter?

A．Old Ed	B．The driver’s grandchild
C．The author	D．Tom

小题3:It can be inferred from the passage that the driver regretted_____.

A．missing Ed’s funeral

B．moving away from his neighborhood

C．forgetting to send Ed Christmas cards

D．not being able to keep in touch with Ed

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