选择知识点

In the past， many people depended on horses for transportation， farming and other kinds of work． A lot of people still like to ride horses for sport． Horse racing and betting on horse racing are also popular． So， it is not surprising that Americans use a lot of expressions about horses．
Long ago， people who were rich or important rode horses that were very tall．Today， if someone acts better than everyone else， you might tell him to "get off your high horse．"
And if someone is pushing you to do something， you can say， "Hold your horses!" This is a very informal way to tell someone to calm down and wait． You would not use it with your boss but you could use it with children．
Something else you could say to children if they are playing too rough or hitting each other is to stop horsing around! When kids horse around， they could get hurt． However， kids who live in a one-horse town might have nothing to do but horse around． A one-horse town is a small town with not too much going on．
So， if you live in a one-horse town， you might like to watch a lot of television． Imagine that you are watching your favorite show when your phone rings． You do not answer it． Wild horses could not drag you away from the television． Nothing could stop you from doing what you want to do．
When you get news directly from the best source， you get it straight from the horse's mouth． If your teacher， for example， tells you there is going to be a test tomorrow， you got that information straight from the horse's mouth．
Sometimes a person keeps arguing a question that has already been settled． They are beating a dead horse． A dead horse is quite different from a dark horse． A dark horse is a person who surprises others by doing better than unexpected． In politics， a dark-horse candidate is someone who is not likely to win …but then does．



What is the passage meant to tell us？ ______

A. Reasons why expressions about horsesare used
B. Some expressions about horses used by Americans．
C. The popularity of horse riding in American society．
D. Different situations where horses are made use of．

What will a mother probably say when tired of her boy hurrying her to buy a toy car？ ______

A. Get off you high horse．
B. Stop horsing around．
C. Hold your horses．
D. Beat a dead horse．

Your classmate unexpectedly wins the championship in a competition； he is a ______ ．

A. dark horse
B. dead horse
C. wild horse
D. high horse

Mountain regions are not just playgrounds for the richer citizens on the planet， however． The disappearing snows of Mount Kilimanjaro are a worrying sign that nowhere is safe from the adverse effects of human actions． The United Nations has identified three main areas that need to be addressed to ensure the future safety of the world's mountains． These are： the protection of mountain ecosystems， the encouragement of peace and stability in mountain regions， and assistance for mountain people to maintain their ways of life．
From the busy cities of India to the farmlands of California， more than half the world's population is dependent on mountains for their fresh water supply． Global warming， deforestation， mining and heavy farming seriously damage breakable mountain ecosystems and put vital fresh water sources at risk．
Mountain regions host a large proportion of the world's wars． From Afghanistan to the Balkans and the Andes to many parts of Africa， territorial and drug-related conflicts have damaging effects on the local environment and the lives of the local people． Fighting makes essential tasks such as farming impossible． Land mines make large areas of potential farming ground unusable． Also schools， roads， bridges and other important infrastructure（基础设施）are left in ruins．
Mountain people are among the poorest， least represented groups on the earth． They face many hardships and each day can be， "a test of survival"． Damage to mountain ecosystems worsens their situation and leaves them even more unprotected to disease and ‘natural" disasters such as floods and landslides． It's been recommended that forest profit should be reinvested in mountain communities and the people living there should be given a stronger political voice． Their fate is in many ways directly connected with that of people living at sea level．
There is an old motto for visitors to the countryside which advises them to leave nothing but footprints． It is still as relevant today as it always was． Unfortunately， the size of our footprints seems to be getting larger．



What the writer discussed in the previous sections is most probably about ______ ．

A. mountain ecosystems
B. mountain regions
C. mountain people
D. mountain sports

The underlined word "adverse"（para.1）is closest in meaning to " ______ "．

A. harmful
B. positive
C. direct
D. powerful

Wars have directly brought the following effects EXCEPT ______ ．

A. mountain people's poor living condition
B. impossible farming
C. inadequate supply of fresh water
D. ruined infrastructure

Which of the following can be inferred from the passage？ ______

A. Mountain people have enough political voice to protect themselves．
B. Worsened ecosystems put mountain people's lives under threat．
C. More money should be raised to establish mountain communities．
D. Visitors to mountains have left nothing but large footprints．

There is a common belief among parents that schools are no longer interested in spelling． No school I have taught in has ever considered spelling unimportant as a basic skill． There are， however， quite different ideas about how to teach it， or how much priority（优先） it must be given over general language development and writing ability． The problem is， how to encourage a child to express himself freely in writing without holding him back with spelling．
If spelling becomes the only point of his teacher's interest， clearly a bright child will be likely to " play safe"． He will write only words within his spelling range（范围）． That's why teachers often encourage the early use of dictionaries and pay attention to content rather than technical ability．
I was once shocked to read on the bottom of a sensitive piece of writing about a personal experience： "This work is terrible! There are far too many spelling mistakes．" It may have been a sharp criticism（批评） of the pupils technical abilities in writing， but it was also a sad thing for the teacher who had omitted to read the composition， which contained some beautiful expressions of the child's deep feelings． The teacher was not wrong to draw attention to the mistakes， but if his priority had centered on the child's ideas， an expression of his disappointment with the presentation would have given the pupil more hope to seek improvement．



The expression "play safe" probably means ______ ．

A. to write carefully
B. to do as teachers say
C. to use dictionaries frequently
D. to avoid using words one is not sure of

Teachers encourage the use of dictionaries so that ______ ．

A. students will be able to express their ideas more freely
B. teachers will have less trouble in correcting mistakes
C. students will have more trust in writing
D. students will learn to spell words correctly

The writer seems to think that the teacher's judgment on that sensitive piece of writing is ______ ．

A. reasonable
B. unfair
C. foolish
D. careless

The major point discussed in the passage is ______ ．

A. the importance of developing writing skills
B. the importance of spelling
C. the correct way of marking composition
D. the relationship between spelling and the content of a composition

A Californian man who was feeling sick almost died recently from a shocking cause．
26-year-old Luis Ortiz went to a hospital because of a headache and nausea（恶心）．When doctors examined him，they were shocked to find a tapeworm lava（绦虫幼虫）in his brain． The story got stranger． The larva was still alive．
The creature had caused a cyst（囊肿） to form inside his head． The cyst was restricting the flow of liquids to different areas of his brain． The situation was so serious that doctors said they had to perform an emergency operation to remove the larva．
A doctor who operated on Ortiz told him he had only 30 minutes to live． When the doctor pulled the worm out of his head，it was still moving．
Luis Ortiz was a student at California State University in Sacramento． He began experiencing headaches in late August． But Ortiz said he did not think the headaches were serious．
In September，he visited a friend and his parents in another city． That is when the pain got worse． His mother saw Ortiz throwing up and took him to a hospital emergency room．
The doctors saved Ortiz's life． However，the surgery also affected him． Ortiz had to drop out of school and move back home． For now，he is not permitted to work or drive a vehicle．
The U．S． Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the U．S． has about 1，000 reported cases of tapeworms each year． The CDC adds that tapeworms are more common in developing countries with poor public health systems．
The best way to avoid a tapeworm infection（感染） is to wash fruits and vegetables． Also，make sure meat is cooked thoroughly． The CDC suggests cooking all meat to an internal temperature of at least 63degrees Celsius．



What caused Luis Ortiz to feel sick and headaches？ ______

A. Dirty food eaten in August．
B. Travelling for a long way．
C. A living creature in his brain．
D. Uncooked meat eaten by him．

If the doctors didn't have an emergency operation on him，Luis Ortiz was likely to ______ ．

A. die of cancer
B. live for only half an hour
C. finish studying in school
D. pass the driving test

How should people avoid infecting tapeworms？ ______

A. By washing fruits and vegetables．
B. By boiling plates and bowls before meals．
C. By cooking meat to at least 63℃ outside．
D. By improving the development of economy．

Grey squirrels are abundant （丰富的） in many parts of the United States． They have babies twice a year-in early spring and late summer． Grey squirrels typically have three to four babies in each litter （一窝）． By four weeks of age， the babies" eyes open and by six weeks， the young are making their way out of the nest． By the time they reach eight or nine weeks of age， baby squirrels are no longer nursing and are generally able to survive on their own in the wild．
What should you do if you find a baby squirrel in need of help？ For starters， you should assess whether or not the squirrel is injured． Is it bleeding or does it appear to have broken bones？ Was the squirrel being attacked by a cat？ If you answered "yes" to any of these questions， contact your local wildlife emergency center as soon as possible． If you're not sure whom to call， start with your local animal shelter or police station． They should have contact information for your nearest wildlife hospital or rehabilitation （恢复） center． If the squirrel is not injured， and it looks like it weighs around half a pound or so， it may just be old enough to survive on its own． A good rule of thumb is that if the squirrel is old enough to run from you， it is old enough to take care of itself．
According to the Wildlife Center of Virginia， if the squirrel's tail is fluffed out （抖松） and it weighs more than 6.5 ounces， it does not need human help in order to survive． If not， the squirrel may still need to nurse and be cared for by its mother． If you can locate the nest， place the baby in a box with an open lid at the base of the tree where the nest is located． If it is cold out， add a bag of warmed rice or hand warmers to the box to keep the baby warm while it waits for its mother． Check back frequently to see if the mother has found and relocated her baby． If not， call your local wildlife center to reassess the situation．
Whatever you do， do not attempt to bring the baby squirrel home and raise it as a pet． While they may seem cute as babies， squirrels are wild animals and it won't take long before they need to get back into the wild． But too much time around humans could make it more difficult for a squirrel to survive on its own．



Which of the following is true about grey squirrels？ ______

A. They are commonly seen all over America．
B. They give birth to the young every two years．
C. A grey squirrel can at most have three or four babies all its life．
D. Baby squirrels are independent of their mothers when they are 8or 9weeks old．

When you come across a baby squirrel needing help， the first thing you should do is that ______ ．

A. answer some questions raised by your local wildlife emergency center
B. call your local wildlife emergency center as soon as possible
C. check whether it is suffering from any form of injury
D. take it to your nearest wildlife hospital

It is suggested that when finding a baby squirrel needing nursing， you should ______ ．

A. build a nest for it
B. take it home if its mother can't be found
C. let nature take its course after putting it in a box
D. make sure it goes back to its mother

The last paragraph tries to tell us ______ ．

A. why we shouldn't take a baby squirrel home as a pet
B. how long it will be before a baby squirrel lives on its own
C. squirrels should grow in its natural habitat
D. humans and squirrels should get along well with each other

Many young students consider their friends as the most important people in their lives．They believe that their family members，especially their parents，don't know them as well as their friends do．In large families，it is often for brothers and sisters to fight with each other and then they can only go to their friends for advice．It is very important for young students to have one good friend or many friends．Even when they are not with their friends，they usually spend a lot of time talking among themselves on the phone．This communication is very important in children's growing up，because friends can discuss something difficult to say to their family members．
However，parents often try to choose friends for their children．Some parents may even stop their children from meeting their good friends．The question of"choice"is an interesting one．
Have you ever thought of the following questions？
Who chooses your friends？
Do you choose your friends or your friends choose you？
Have you got a good friend your parents don't like？



Many young students think their ______ know them better than their parents do．

A. teachers
B. friends
C. brothers and sisters
D. classmates

When young students stay alone，the usual way of communication is to ______ ．

A. talk with their friends on the phone
B. talk with their parents
C. have a discussion with their family
D. go to their friends

Which of the following sentences is TRUE？ ______

A. In all families，children can choose everything they like．
B. Parents should like everything their children enjoy．
C. Parents should try their best to understand their children better．
D. young students can only go to their friends for help．

The main idea of this passage is that ______ ．

A. Good friends can communicate with each other
B. Friends can give good advice
C. Parents often choose friends for their children
D. Young students need good friends

I began working in journalism when I was eight． It was my mother's idea． She wanted me to "make something" of myself， and decided I had better start young if I was to have any chance of keeping up with the competition．
With my load of magazines， I headed toward Belleville Avenue． The crowds were there． There were two gas stations on the corner of Belleville and Union． For several hours I made myself highly visible， making sure everyone could see me and the heavy black letters on the bag that said THE SATURDAY EVENING POST． When it was supper time， I walked back home．
"How many did you sell， my boy？" my mother asked．
"None．"
"Where did you go？"
"The corner of Belleville and Union Avenues．"
"What did you do？"
"Stood on the corner waiting for somebody to buy a Saturday Evening Post．"
"You just stood there？"
"Didn't sell a single one．"
"My God， Russell!"
Uncle Allen put in， "Well， I've decided to take the Post．" I handed him a copy and he paid me a nickel． It was the first nickel I earned．
Afterwards my mother taught me how to be a salesman． I would have to ring doorbells， address adults with self-confidence， and persuade them by saying that no one， no matter how poor， could afford to be without the Saturday Evening Post in the home．
One day， I told my mother I'd changed my mind． I didn't want to make a success in the magazine business．
"If you think you can change your mind like this，" she replied， "you'll become a good-for-nothing．" She insisted that， as soon as school was over， I should start ringing doorbells， selling magazines． Whenever I said no， she would scold me．
My mother and I had fought this battle almost as long as I could remember． My mother， dissatisfied with my father's plain workman's life， determined that I would not grow up like him and his people． But never did she expect that， forty years later， such a successful journalist as me would go back to her husband's people for true life and love．



Why did the boy start his job young？ ______

A. He wanted to be famous in the future．
B. The job was quite easy for him．
C. His mother had high hopes for him．
D. The competition for the job was fierce．

From the dialogue between the boy and his mother， we learn that the mother was ______ ．

A. excited
B. interested
C. ashamed
D. disappointed

What did the mother do when the boy wanted to give up？ ______

A. She forced him to continue．
B. She punished him．
C. She gave him some money．
D. She changed her plan．

What is the text mainly about？ ______

A. The early life of a journalist．
B. The early success of a journalist．
C. The happy childhood of the writer．
D. The important role of the writer in his family．

When traveling on a budget，every dollar counts．Unfortunately，the cost of airfare alone can burn a serious hole in your wallet．Don't let that stop you from taking your dream vacation，though．According to Jeff Klee，CEO of CheapAir，there is a"sweet spot"to getting the biggest bang for your buck．
"The most important rule is fairly obvious：don't wait until the last minute，as that rarely works out，"he said in a statement．"But beyond that，you also want to be careful not to buy too early．"
Still，that's easier said than done．Finding the most cost-efficient time to book is tough．Luckily，somebody did the math-so you don't have to．Data crunchers from the online travel agency CheapAir surveyed over 917 million fares to determine the day with the cheapest rates．Here's what they found：while prices tend to stay the same between 320and 106days before a trip，they start dropping at the 105-day mark．That said，you might be tempted to book the moment prices drop．But hold up!You'll save even more money by booking precisely 70days before your trip．According to CheapAir，you can save 48percent of the ticket's total cost by using this trick．After that date，airfares will begin to increase again．And don't even think about booking any later than 20days ahead of time，as prices will be soaring．
So，what are you waiting for？Start planning your next dream vacation，and book accordingly．Your wallet will thank you-guaranteed．



When can we book our plane tickets to save the most money？ ______

A. The later，the better．
B. As early as possible．
C. 105days before our trip．
D. 70days before our trip．

How much can the trick help us save if the ticket costs ﹩400 totally？ ______

A. ﹩48．
B. ﹩192．
C. ﹩208．
D. ﹩352．

What's the purpose of the author in writing this text？ ______

A. To explain what a"sweet spot"is．
B. To attract people to travel by plane．
C. To show the ways of booking plane tickets．
D. To tell people how to buy cheap plane tickets．

Digital grounding is when parents or caregivers limit or completely take away access to technology from children．According to a study conducted by Pew Research，65%of parents have digitally grounded their teen by taking away their teen's cellphone or internet access as punishment．
Because children are so connected with their technologies，digital grounding may seem like a logical step for parents．Take away a child's most cherished item and they will quickly learn from their behavior．But the idea of digital grounding isn't as clear-cut as that．Instead，it may be a lose-lose situation for parents and kids，alike．
For most parents，the goal of grounding isn't to make their children unhappy or sad．It is to teach a lesson in the hope that they won't engage in whatever behavior got them in trouble in the first place．Unfortunately，though，digital grounding is often just punishment，not discipline．If a child stays out past curfew（约定的最晚回家时间），a punishment would be hitting or yelling at them．Discipline would be not letting them go out the next weekend because they failed to follow rules．
We've all been there-we've caught our child doing something wrong and in the heat of the moment laid out a strict punishment．We may have been feeling hot-headed，embarrassed，or upset．Often，though，these punishments don't align with the bad behavior．
While digital grounding may solve the problem temporarily，it won't provide children with the guidance they need to act appropriately in the future．Instead of grounding，show your child what they did wrong and give them the chance to act differently．This way，they will learn from their mistakes in a practical manner and figure out ways to be safe and smart with technology．
There's no denying it：technology is here for the long-haul．This is why some parenting experts don't recommend digitally grounding your children．It doesn't focus on the end goal of safe behavior．They recommend teaching them good habits as soon as possible，rather than taking away their technology．By digitally grounding them，you are putting a bandage over the wound，rather than treating it．
Now，when we say that digital grounding is a lose-lose situation，we're not saying that disciplining your children in general is a lose-lose situation．Discipline is a great way to teach children lessons，when used appropriately．



Which of the following is a form of discipline？ ______

A. Hitting or yelling at children．
B. Laying out a strict punishment in the heat of the moment．
C. Taking away access to cellphones from children completely．
D. Forbidding kids to go out the next weekend if they stay out past curfew．

What does the author think of digital grounding？ ______

A. It benefits children greatly．
B. It is no better than disciplining．
C. Parents can use it to correct kids'behavior．
D. Neither parents nor children gain benefits from it．

What does the author suggest parents do instead of grounding？ ______

A. Give kids more free time．
B. Act appropriately in public．
C. Help kids form good habits．
D. Put a bandage over the wound．

What's the purpose of the text？ ______

A. To inform us of ways of punishing kids．
B. To explain what digital grounding means．
C. To show how to parent children in digital times．
D. To prove digital grounding is not a good parenting way．

Letter OneDear Editor，
After I finish my homework， I often go online and chat with my friends． Sometimes I play computer games． But my parents hate to see me playing games on the computer． Maybe they have heard too much news about how QQ and computer games harm children． Once I went to a net bar（网吧） to play games after school． But after that I told my parents that I was playing basketball at school． I said so because I didn't want to make them unhappy． I feel bad about it． However， I need to rest for a while by playing computer games after studying for a long time． I really want my parents to understand that． Do foreign parents do the same to their children？ Please help me．
Li Ping， BeijingLetter TwoDear Li Ping，
I don't think it's strange for parents to keep their children away from anything bad． Foreign parents will do the same as your parents! They may not let their children watch TV for too long a time， or like your parents， they don't want their children to play computer games．
Talk to your parents and be honest to them， I think． Tell them what you are doing and why you are doing so to make them understand you． It's never good to do things behind your parents． They aren't fools as you think sometimes! Our parents seem to know what is the best for us．
Remember： to be honest is the best way．
Good luck，
Rebecca


From the passage we can learn that Li Ping often ______ ．

A. talks with his friends on the Internet
B. plays basketball after school
C. plays computer games at home
D. chats online before homework

The boy goes online ______ ．

A. to get news on QQ
B. just to have a rest
C. to show he hates study
D. to make new friends

The underlined sentence in Letter Two means " ______ "

A. You must do everything in front of your parents
B. You must always listen to your parents carefully
C. You should not do anything that makes your parents worry about you
D. You should tell your parents what you do before or after doing it

The editor thinks ______ ．

A. children should play computer games in the net bar secretly
B. playing computer game can be very helpful to children's studies
C. children should be honest and try to make their parents understand them
D. foreign parents don't care for their children as much as Chinese parents