Passage 1(2017 江西)“Color, color, color!” are the words of artist Eric Carle. Eric is like the king in the world of children’s books. He has written over 70 children’s books. His most famous book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, is common on children’s bookshelves all over the world. What most people don’t know is that Eric also makes art for adults, which is called “ArtArt”. People didn’t know about it, because he didn’t show it to the public until he was 84 years old!Like Eric’s children’s books, his “ArtArt” is full of bright and clear color. He says that he loves color so much because he missed it during the war in Germany. Eric was born in New York in 1929, but moved to Germany with his family when he was 6. When he was 10, World War II began. He noticed that all the houses and buildings in his town were painted grey, brown or dark green, It was a sad time, and it seemed like there was no color anywhere.At the end of the war, “When color came back,” Eric explains, “I just loved it so much. I keep saying that I wish our eyes could see more color. Color is a very important part of my work.’’That’s true. Eric paints bright colors on paper, cuts out shapes, and then glues them onto another piece of paper. This method is called collage. In fact, it is what led Eric to his “ArtArt”.Eric’s “ArtArt” includes large collages as well as paintings, photographs and even costumes. In all these works, he uses all kinds of colors—everything from purple to light green to orange. Now that’s a lot of color!()1. When did Eric show “ArtArt” to the public?A. In 1929.B. In 1993.C. In 1997.D. In 2013.()2. Why did Eric feel sad during World War?A. Because he could hardly see bright color.B. Because he had to join the army to fight.C. Because he couldn’t draw very good paintings.D. Because he lived a very poor life with his parents.()3. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?A. Collage plays an important part in Erica’s book “ArtArt”.B. Children know little about The Very Hungry Caterpillar.C. Eric has created more books for adults than for children.D. Eric moved to Germany with his family when he was 10.()4. What’s the main idea of this passage?A. Eric created collages for his books.B. Eric’s “ArtArt” is popular with people.C. Erica’s love for color led him to success.D. Eric is the king in the world of children’s books.Passage 2(2017 河南)Not only kids of Tiger Moms go to Harvard.Dawn Loggins of Lawndale, N. C., is on her way to Harvard, one of the eight world-famous universities in the eastern US. Nobody encouraged her to study or paid for her special classes. This girl created her own future.The teen was abandoned by her family last summer, when her parents and two sisters moved to Tennessee. She found herself homeless and had to spend the night on friends’ sofas.The school bus driver learned about Dawn’s situation and invited Dawn to move in with her family. Soon, Dawn had a job at Burns High School. She worked from 6 a. m. to 7:40 a. m. before the first school bell rang. She swept floors and picked up trash again in the afternoons, before diving(跳水)into her studies in the evenings.Dawn’s hard work paid off. She finished school with a 3. 9 GPA and scored 2,110 on the SAT.“There were times when I felt like it would be easiest if I gave up,” the 18-year-old said. “But it was never in me to give up, because I realized that I was never going to be successful unless I got an education.’’Even before Dawn’s family left her, she led a difficult life. Her family was poor and cups of noodles were oftenthe only food. Dawn “studied by candlelight” because her parents couldn’t afford to pay the electricity bill(电费).Dawn has now reconnected with her family. They’re proud of her accomplishments and are attending her high school graduation.()1. Why didn’t Dawn give up her studies?A. To reconnect with her family.B. To thank those who had helped her.C. To get an education to be successful.D. To realize her dream of going to Harvard.()2. Who helped Dawn when she found herself homeless?A. Her teachers.B. Her neighbors.C. A Tiger Mom.D. A school bus driver.()3. What does the underlined word “abandoned” mean in Chinese?A. 宠爱B. 抛弃C. 鼓励D. 虐待()4.Which of the following words best describes Dawn?A. Open-minded.B. Good-natured.C. Strong-willed.D. Warm-hearted.()5. What’s the best title for the text?A. Another Harvard girlB. A girl in candlelightC. From homeless to HarvardD. The role of Tiger MomsPassage 3(2017 广州)Tim Berners-Lee is not the most famous inventor in the world. However, his invention has changed our lives.He was born in London, England in 1955. When he was a small boy, Tim was interested in playing with electrical things. He studied science at Oxford University. He made his first computer from an old television at the age of 21.Tim started working on early computers. At that time, they were much bigger than now. He worked in England then Switzerland. Tim was really interested in two things, computers and how the brain works. How could the brain connect so many facts so quickly? He had to work with people all over the world. They shared information about computers. It was hard to manage all the information. He answered the same questions again and again. It took a lot of time. It was even difficult for computers in the same office in Switzerland to share information. Tim also forgot things easily. Could a computer work like a brain? Could it “talk” to other computers?There was an Internet already but it was difficult to use. In 1989, Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web(WWW)all by himself. This had a special language that helped computers talk to each other on the Internet. When people wanted to share information with others, they used the World Wide Web. The Internet grew quickly after that.Tim Berners-Lee doesn’t think he did anything special. He says that all of the ideas about the Internet were already there. All he did was to put them together. He says that many other people worked together to make the Internet what it is today.Most inventors want to become rich, but Tim gave away the World Wide Web for nothing. He now works in America. He helps people share technology and wants the Internet to be free for everyone to use. Maybe he is the most important but least famous inventor in the world today!()1. What was Tim Berners-Lee interested in?A. Looking for jobs in different cities.B. Talking to people around the world.C. Studying how to connect computers.D. Exploring how to improve memory.()2. The underlined word “it” in Paragraph 3 refers to “___________”.A. Working on early computersB. Connecting different facts togetherC. Travelling to the office in SwitzerlandD. Repeating the answers to the same questions()3. Why is Tim Berners-Lee one of the most important men in the world?A. He made information sharing on the Internet possible.B. He made the first computer when he was 21 years old.C. He helped people understand better how the brain works.D. He invented the Internet and made it free for everyone to use.()4. In what order did the following events take place?a. Tim worked in England.b. Tim worked in Switzerland.c. Tim made his first computer.d. Tim invented the World Wide Web.e. Tim studied science at Oxford University.A. c-e-d-a-bB. e-b-a-c-dC. c-d-a-e-bD. e-c-a-b-d()5. What does the writer think of Tim Berners-Lee?A. He is not famous because he is not rich.B. He has changed our lives and he is great.C. He did nothing special but made people a good life.D. He has made great achievements in memory research.Passage 4(2017 青岛)Ray Charles, a black singer and pianist of the USA. He had won 12 Grammy Awards(格莱美奖)and performed at 10, 000 concerts around the world. Many musicians called him simply “the Genius”(天才).Ray Charles was born into a poor family, without a father. When he was 5 years old, his younger brother died, and around the same time, Charles started to lose eyesight. By the age of 7 he was completely blind. He had already been learning the piano for a year, and when he went blind, his mother knew this would be the only way he would make any money in the future. All his life, Charles remembered her saying: “Do it right, or don’t do it at all.”Later he went to a school for blind and deaf children. There the teachers also encouraged him to study music. Sadly, while he was still at school, his mother died. He left school and in the early 1950s Charles organized a group of players. He sang, played the piano and wrote music.He made many classical CDs with famous artists such as Elton John and the Beatles.In 2003 a film of his life Ray was made. The part of Charles was played by a younger actor and musician called Jamie Foxx. The film director brought Foxx to meet Charles. After they had been playing together for two hours, Charles, then aged 73, jumped up and said: “He’s the one… he can do it.” A year later Charles died aged 74. The film of his life has been as popular as his songs and means that the memory music will live on.()1. What can we learn from Ray’s childhood story?A. His father died when he was 5 years old.B. He started to go blind at the age of 7.C. He was born in a rich musician family.D. He started to learn the piano at the age of 6. ()2. Ray Charles’ mother encouraged him to play music because___________.A. his father was a musician as wellB. because it would help him get used to being blindC. it was a good way for a blind person to get moneyD. his teacher thought he was a genius()3. Ray Charles went to a school for___________.A. normal childrenB. deaf and blind childrenC. talented children onlyD. children without parents()4. Ray Charles thought that Jamie Foxx___________.A. was the right person to play him in the filmB. was a good film makerC. was the wrong person to play him in the filmD. was a good director()5. What is the main idea of the last paragraph?A. Becoming a musician.B. Childhood story.C. The film of Ray’s life.D. Master of many styles.Passage 5(2017 宁波)Do you know any 9-year-olds who have started their own museums? When Theodore Roosevelt(罗斯福)was only nine, he and two of his cousins opened “the Roosevelt Museum of Natural History.” The museum was in Theodore’s bedroom. It had a total of 12 specimens(标本). On display were a few seashells, some dead insects and some birds’ nests. Young Roosevelt took great pride in his small museum.Born in New York in 1858, Theodore Roosevelt was not always healthy. “I was a sickly, delicate boy,” he once wrote. Roosevelt had a health condition called asthma(哮喘). He often found it hard to breathe. Instead of playing, he observed(观察)nature and then read and wrote about it.Roosevelt’s interest in nature sometimes got him into trouble. Once, his mother found several dead mice in the icebox. She ordered him to throw them out. This was indeed a loss to science, Roosevelt said later.Because Roosevelt was often sickly as a boy, his body was small and weak. When he was about 12, his father urged him to improve his body. Roosevelt began working out in a gym. He didn’t become strong quickly. But he did decide to face life’s challenges with a strong spirit. That determination stayed with Roosevelt his whole life. And finally his body did get strong. As an adult, he was an active, healthy person. He enjoyed adventures and loved the outdoors.In 1900, at the age of 41, Roosevelt was elected Vice President. A year later, President McKinley, was shot and killed. Roosevelt became the 26th President of the USA. At 42, he was the youngest leader the country had ever had.()1. What is the main idea of the first paragraph?A. Roosevelt’s museum had 12 specimens.B. Roosevelt had two cousins.C. Roosevelt was a brave man.D. Roosevelt had a small museum as a boy.()2. Which of the following tells about Roosevelt as a boy?A. He liked playing outdoor sports.B. He became the president in 1901.C. He was interested in observing nature.D. He was a healthy person full of energy.()3. It can be inferred that___________.A. Roosevelt’s mother liked miceB. Roosevelt followed his father’s adviceC. everyone with asthma is small and weakD. working out in a gym is a waste of time()4. In which book might you find this passage?A. Improving Your BodyB. Living With AsthmaC. Small Museums of Natural HistoryD. The Childhoods of America’s PresidentsPassage 6(2017 台州)At just 17 years old, Pakistani Malala was the youngest ever winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.Malala came to international attention when she spoke up for the rights of all children to have an education. Malala’s father was a teacher who ran a school. For her early life, her family lived in the school so she was used to sitting in the classrooms before her school age. Now, she can speak three languages and loves learning.She grew up in Pakistan. The living conditions in her area were very poor and unsafe. Many people were hurt and many schools were closed. Especially girls were not allowed to go to school.Reporters from Britain told the world what was happening with the help of Malala. In 2009, 12-year-old Malala wrote 35 diaries on the Internet. She wrote about the difficulties of her life, and about her strong hope for education.Soon after that, Malala’s family was chosen to be in a TV program to show ordinary children’s education because both father and daughter spoke good English, and they cared about children getting an education.From then on, a few people hated her and hurt her. Though terribly wounded, Malala became a courageous fighter for the education rights of millions of girls worldwide. “I don’t want to be remembered as the girl who was hurt. I want to be remembered as the girl who stood up,” she said.She has now written a book about her life called I am Malala. The book shows that one person’s voice has the power to inspire change in the world. In her speech, she spoke warmly about her aims for education and peace. One sentence she said one day became famous: One child, one teacher, one pen and one book can greatly change the world.()1. Many people around the world began to know Malala because___________.A. she could speak three languages in allB. her father ran a school for the youngC. she fought for all children’s educationD. she got an education when she was young()2. It can be inferred that Malala is a___________ girl from Paragraph Five.A. braveB. livelyC. cleverD. careful()3. The underlined word “inspire” in the last paragraph might mean “___________”.A. describeB. compareC. celebrateD. encourage()4. The purpose of this passage is mainly to___________.A. introduce peopled living conditions in PakistanB. suggest more news reporters to pay attention to the girl MalalaC. let people realize the importance of all children’s educationD. tell more people to give opinions on kids’ education in PakistanPassage 7(2017 义乌)Sydney Fredette has a lot of things to deal with. Not only is she a high school student, but she has also set up her own organization, Beary Merry Christmas. She volunteers to serve poor kids and families in Orange County(县)in California, US.To remember her best friend who died of cancer nearly 10 years ago, Fredette decided to serve those in Orange County who are less lucky than she is.She began with the simple idea of collecting donated(捐赠的)Build-A-Bears, the popular toy animal that is made by children themselves in the stores’ workshops. Fredette then gave them as gifts to the homeless children in California during the holiday season.With donations at more than 100 bears a year, Fredette and volunteers host activities every year, where volunteers not only give out the bears, but also clothing, meals, and other things.Not wanting to limit(限制)the giving to just the holiday months, Fredette now hosts other activities for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Halloween, providing the chance for her volunteer team to make a difference through the year.“I love making relationships with the people I serve,” Fredette said. “The thanks they have, hearing their stories and seeing how happy they are, it’s so cool.”Future plans for Fredette include building a public food bank and providing a self development class for students in her school who will soon attend college.Heading to college herself in the autumn, Fredette is looking to stay local and continue to help out in her county. In fact, she was regarded as a “Dreamer & Doer” not long ago for her work in improving her community, along with 32 other high school students.()1. Fredette started her own organization to___________.A. keep her life busyB. thank her best friendC. look after the sickD. help poor people ()2. What can we learn about Beary Merry Christmas?A. It holds one activity a year.B. It gives out other things besides bears.C. It buys bears from the stores.D. It offers service around America.()3. It can be inferred(推断)that Fredette___________.A. likes telling people storiesB. dreams of being a teacherC. is pleased with what she doesD. plans to leave California for college()4. What can be the best title for the passage?A. Giving back to societyB. Getting on well with othersC. Providing a food bankD. Improving community collegesPassage 8(2017武汉)The Silk Road is the name of different roads that long ago connected Europe, Africa and Asia. People reached these different places alone these roads. Scientists believe people began to travel the Silk Road about 3000 years ago. By the time the Chinese silk trade became important in the world, the Silk Road covered almost 6500 kilometers. It went from Rome to China, which was from the West to the Far East.Merchants travelled along the Silk Road to carry silk, of course. They also carried and traded other things like spices(香料), cloth, jewels and gold.Along and around these ancient paths(小路), have come many fascinating and mysterious stories.It is said that Roman soldiers who lost a war travelled through central Asia. They decided to live somewhere near the ancient Chinese villages. Some of these Romans married local Chinese women and the legend of the blond-haired, blue-eyed tribes of China was started.Some historians believe that the people of Kashmir were taken away from their country Israel. They were prisoners(俘虏)of war almost 2800 years ago. People say that these people travelled along the Silk Road. They kept their Jewish way of life for a long time.During its busiest period, the Silk Road allowed people from many different cultures and countries to meet each other and mix. The Silk Road allowed the sharing of valuable things and new ideas. It included people and trading goods from different areas. All these peoples travelled the Silk Road, and they shared goods, stories, languages, and cultures.In modern times, the old Silk Road routes(路线)are still used, but now they are crossed by trains instead of camels and horses. There is even a Silk Route Museum in Jiuquan in China. It has over 35,000 objects from all along the Silk Road. In this way, China protects the history of many countries and peoples.()1. It is clear that___________.A. the Silk Road was divided into Europe, Africa and AsiaB. Roman soldiers would like to travel along the Silk RoadC. people could travel to different countries along the Silk RoadD. people shared only silk on the Silk Road()2. The underlined word “Merchants” in the passage probably means___________.A. foreignersB. businessmenC. soldiersD. prisoners()3. According to the passage, ___________.A. the Silk Road began with the warsB. the Silk Road covered almost 6500 kilometers in ChinaC. people began to travel the Silk Road about 3000 years agoD. people from Israel were not included among people on the Silk Road()4. The old Silk Road routes are still used because___________.A. there are many old stories about themB. the historians and scientists think highly of themC. China will make good use of the Silk Road againD. People can keep on traveling and trading along them()5. The best title for the passage can be___________.A. Along the Silk RoadB. Silk Route MuseumC. Trade for SilkD. The West and the Far EastPassage 9(2017 河南)The idea that red means stop and green means go has influenced our lives in more ways than just traffic signals(信号). We have been taught from a young age that the color red means danger and green means it’s okay to move forward. But why were those colors chosen for traffic lights in the first place? For something we have to look at every day, why couldn’t they have been prettier colors?Well, it’s important to know that before traffic lights for cars, there were traffic signals for trains. At first, railway companies used red to mean stop, white to mean go, and green to mean warn. As you could imagine, trains ran into a few problems with white meaning go. For example, one train mistook a bright star for a white light and something unexpected happened. Because of that, railway companies finally moved green meaning go and used yellow to mean warn. And it’s been that way ever since.Red has always been a color that meant danger, long before cars were even around. This most likely started because of the color with the longest wavelength(波长)so it can be seen somewhere farther than other colors.But, believe it or not, yellow was once used to mean stop. Back in the 1900s, some stop signs were yellow because it was too hard to see a red sign in a poorly lit area. Finally, highly reflective materials(高反射材料)were developed and red stop signs were born. Since yellow can be seen well at all times of the day, school zones, some traffic signs, and school buses continue to be painted yellow.So next time you’re impatiently waiting at a traffic light, don’t get so mad at them; they’ve certainly come a long way.()1. What were traffic signals for before traffic lights for cars?A. Trains.B. Boats.C. Planes.D. Bicycles.()2. Which of the following colors meant go at first?A. Red.B. Yellow.C. White.D. Green.()3. Why does red mean danger?A. Because it’s the brightest color,B. Because it can be seen far away.C. Because railway companies say so.D. Because it has the shortest wavelength.()4. Why are school buses painted yellow?A. Because yellow is a prettier color.B. Because yellow once meant danger.C. Because yellow can be seen well in daytime.D. Because yellow means it’s OK to go forward. ()5. What does the text mainly tell us?A. How important traffic lights are.B. Which color has the longest wavelength.C. What red, yellow and green can be used for.D. Why traffic lights are red, yellow and green.Passage 10(2017 广东)People often think of the North Pole(北极)and the South Pole as similar frozen(冰冻的)wastelands. They are both places with very cold temperatures and few people live there. However, the North and South Poles are not much alike as people may imagine.The North Pole has no land, only thick ice. Temperatures seldom go above 32°F, at which water turns into ice. Most of the time, it stays below zero. In winter temperatures are usually as low as -30°F.Although conditions were very poor, people tried for many centuries to reach the North Pole. About 100 years ago, two men, Robert Peary and Mathew Henson, were able to get to this environment full of troubles and difficulties. They reached the North Pole on March 8th, 1909. It was really a hard trip for them.There are few things more dangerous than crossing the Arctic(北极圈)on foot. People who stayed there may face many problems: very cold temperatures, sudden storms, and even hunger. Most of the area is uninhabited. Few people can live in such a difficult place.People might think that with such low temperatures for most of the year, the ice would be thick and hard.However, this is not true in the Arctic. The movement of the ocean water under the ice may often cause many different changes on the surface. Sometimes the ice breaks into two opening lanes of water(水道)called “leads”. Anyone who falls into a lead can be frozen to death in a few minutes.()1. This passage is probably from___________.A. a book reviewB. a science bookC. a school reportD. a computer magazine()2. According to the passage, what happened about 100 years ago?A. Two men succeeded in getting to the North Pole.B. Temperatures in the North Pole went above 32°F.C. The environment in the North Pole suddenly became worse.D. The North Pole changed into thick ice because of the temperatures.()3. What does the underlined word “uninhabited” probably mean in Chinese?A. 气候恶劣的B. 充满危险的C. 困难重重的D. 无人居住的()4. The reason for the ice to break into two opening lanes of water is___________.A. that the temperature suddenly dropsB. that the water under the ice is frozenC. that the ocean water under the ice movesD. that the surface is covered with lots of ice()5. What does this passage mainly talk about?A. The thick ice in the North Pole.B. A difficult trip to the North Pole.C. The real situation in the North Pole.D. The differences between the North Pole and the South Pole.Passage 11(2017 福建)No one knows when the first kite was made. The first record of a kite was more than 2,000 years ago in China. Han Xin, the leader of an army, wanted to bring down a king. He decided to dig a tunnel(隧道)into the king’s palace. He flew a kite over the wall of the palace to make sure the length(长度)of its string(线). In this way, he could determine how long the tunnel should be. His men in the tunnel took the kite string with them. When they reached the end of the string, they knew to dig up.Kites have been flown in Japan for hundreds of years. In the 1700s, kites were flown in autumn to give thanks for a good harvest. They were also flown to send good wishes to couples who had their first son. Today in Japan, kites are often flown as part of a celebration, such as the beginning of a new year. And kite festivals are held each year in many parts of the country.Kites have been used for scientific purposes in the western world. In 1752, Benjamin Franklin tied a key to a kite and flew it in a storm to find out that lightening was a form of electricity. In the 1890s, Lawrence Hargrave invented the box kite to test ideas about flight. From 1898 until 1933, the United States Weather Bureau(气象局)used box kites to collect weather data. The Wright brothers also experimented(试验)with kites. What they learnt helped them make the first airplane flight in 1903.()1. Why did Han Xin want to dig a tunnel?A. To pull down the palace.B. To fight against the king.C. To search for the king’s treasure.D. To find out the length of the kite string.()2. What does the underlined word “determine” in Paragraph 1 probably mean in Chinese?A. 测定B. 选择C. 了解D. 考察()3. One of the purposes of flying kites in Japan is___________.A. to give thanks for a good harvest in summerB. to express good wishes to the first-born daughterC. to celebrate the beginning of a new yearD. to hold kite festivals all over the country()4. When did the United States Weather Bureau begin to use box kites?A. In 1752.B. In 1898.C. In 1903.D. In 1933.()5. What would be the best title for the text?A. The History of KitesB. The Experiments of KitesC. The Invention of a KiteD. The First Record of a KitePassage 12(2017 温州)When Sunday is over, the boring office may be the last place you think of, but the Apple Park in Cupertino, California may give you a different feeling.Apple Park is like a huge landed UFO, which covers an area of 708,000 square metres. The round four-storey main building has hundreds of rooms. It covers an area of up to 260,000 square metres. The outer walls are made up of huge pieces of glass. Many of them can be opened like the windows in your home, and the whole building can “breathe” like a human being. With this special ventilated system, it only needs to use air conditioners for three months of the year. There are 75,000 square metres of solar arrays on the roofs of the building. They provide electricity for the whole Park. The Apple Park building is a bright, comfortable and convenient place for all the 12,000 Apple people to work inside.Apple Park is not only a fantastic working place. There is a huge dining hall for all the Apple people to have meals together at once. There is a four-storey café, a sports center and a 1,000-seat theatre to offer relaxing services. There are 2,000 bicycle parking spaces, so people can ride their bikes to work. The company also provides 1,000 bikes for Apple people to get around all over Apple Park. In the middle of the round building is a huge park. Over 9,000 trees including many fruit trees are planted to make it a mini forest. It’s an ideal place to make Apple people feel better and more energetic.Apple Park is a gift for all the Apple people.()1. The main building of Apple Park is___________.A. 12,000 square metresB. 75,000 square metresC. 260,000 square metresD. 708,000 square metres()2. Apple Park gets electricity from its___________.A. outer wallsB. solar arraysC. roomsD. trees()3. Why does Apple Park offer many services?A. To keep Apple people busy.B. To invite tourists to have fun there.C. To make itself a better gift to Apple people.D. To build itself a better place to enjoy nature. ()4. Which of the following is TRUE?A. There are over 9,000 fruit trees in the Park.B. Apple people can do exercise in Apple Park.C. Apple Park can “breathe” for three months of the year.D. The outer walls of the main building are made of wood.Passage 13(2017 天津)As an English, I can speak three languages—English, German and French. So do you think the British people are very good language learners? The fact is that they aren’t.Some statistics(数据)from the survey done by the European Commission(欧盟委员会)showed that 62% of the British people only speak English. 38% speak at least one foreign language and 18% speak two or more, Compared with the British people, 56% of the people in other European countries speak at least one foreign language。
