It was Saturday when the entire summer world was bright and fresh. Tom looked at the fence, which was long and high, feeling all enthusiasm leaving him. He dipped his brush into the whitewash before moving it along the top board of the fence. He knew other boys would arrive soon with all minds of interesting plans for this day. As walking past him, they would tease him for having to work on a beautiful Saturday—which burnt him like fire. He, putting his hands into his pockets and taking out all he owned with the expectation of letting someone paint, found nothing that could buy half an hour of freedom. At this dark and hopeless moment, a wonderful idea occurred to him, pouring a great bright light into his mind. He took up his brush and continued to work pleasantly with calm and quietness. Presently, Ben Rogers came in sight—munching an apple and making joyful noises like the sound of a riverboat as he walked along. Tom went on whitewashing, paying no attention to the steamboat. “Hello!” Ben said, “I’m going swimming, but you can’t go, can you?” No answer. Tom moved his brush gently along the fence and surveyed the result. Ben came nearer. Tom’s mouth watered for Ben’s apple while he kept painting the fence. Ben said, “That’s a lot of work, isn’t it?” Tom turned suddenly saying “Here you are! Ben! I didn’t notice you.” “I’m going swimming,” Ben said. “Don’t you wish you could go? Or would you rather work?” Tom said, “Work? What do you mean ‘work’?” “Isn’t that work?” Tom continued painting and answered carelessly, “Maybe it is, and maybe it isn’t. All I know is it suits Tom Sawyer.” “Do you mean that you enjoy it?” “I don’t see why I oughtn’t to enjoy it.” “Does a boy have a chance to paint a fence frequently” said Tom. Ben stopped munching his apple. Tom moved his brush back and forth—stepped back to note the effect—added a little paint here and there. Ben watched every move, getting more and more interested, more and more absorbed1. After a short time, he said, “Tom, let me whitewash a little.” Tom seemed to be thinking for a moment before he said, “No, Aunt Polly wants this fence to be perfect. If it was the back fence, maybe you could do it. But this fence beside the street is where everybody can see it. It has to be done right.” “Oh, come on, let me try. I’ll be careful. Listen, Tom. I’ll give you part of my apple if you let me paint.” “No, Ben, I’m afraid—” “I’ll give you all the apple!” Tom handed the brush to Ben with unwillingness on his face but alacrity in his heart. While the riverboat worked and sweated in the hot sun, Tom, an artist sat in the shade close by, munching his apple, and planning how he could trick more of the boys. Before long there were enough boys each of whom came along the street; stopped to laugh but soon begged to be allowed to paint. By the middle of the afternoon, Tom had got many treasures while the fence had had three layers of whitewash on it. If he hadn’t run out of whitewash, he would have owned everything belonging to the boys in the village. Tom said to himself that the world was not so depressing after all. He had discovered a great law of human action: in order to make a man cover a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to attain.
1.
By using “Tom continued painting and answered carelessly”, the author shows Tom ______ when he was talking to Ben.
A.
made mistakes
B.
damaged things
C.
was natural
D.
wasn’t concentrating
2.
The underlined word “alacrity” in the last but two paragraph most probable means “______”.
A.
kindness
B.
discouragement
C.
sympathy
D.
eagerness
3.
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? ________
A.
Tom did not want to go swimming at all
B.
Tom was asked to help Aunt Polly paint the fence
C.
Tom did not get along well with his friends
D.
Tom was very busy that Saturday afternoon.
4.
We can draw a conclusion from the last paragraph that _______.
If your recurring(經常性的)dreams are worrying you，you can rest assured and needn’t worry.Psychologists say in the vast majority of these cases，this is just the mind’s way of dealing with stress and conflicts，problems and concerns.It’s a good thing. They call be surprisingly vivid and real，or fragmented and weird.They can be comforting or frightening.Our dreams can tell us a lot about what we are really thinking.Dreams give us an x-ray of our unconsciousness(潛意識).They tell us，particularly when we are at life’s passages or turning points. Lisa Oppenheim had the same dream whenever she was about to move to a new home or a new city.It’s always just a feeling of needing to stay safe.Experts say disturbing dreams often occur around major life events.For Lisa，it was moving.For others，it can be marriage or divorce，the death of a loved one or pressure at work. Doctor Siegel has studied the meaning of dream for nearly 30 years.He believes stressful or upsetting dreams can be a sign of what’s buried deep inside our minds. He said.“Dreams are important to survival.They are crucial to the balance of our psyche(心靈).They help us work out problems that we’re having every single day.They go to the cutting edge of what’s stressful，what’s bothering us and what we’re working out in our lives.Dreams can guide us and in order to find that guidance，to find that deep source of wisdom that’s in our dreams every night，we need to pay attention to our dreams.” But many dreams are scary and horrible.How can we understand these nightmares? Doctor Siegel says they are reflecting especially intense emotion or unresolved conflict.The stronger the emotion in the dream，whether it’s pleasure or fear，the likelier the dream is to be important. Knowing what your recurring dreams or nightmares mean can be liberating.Some nightmares can be a sign of serious psychological problems，such as post-dramatic stress disorder.If they are extremely disturbing or violent or the cause of severe anxiety，you should see a professional therapist(治療專家).
1.
By saying “Dreams give US an x-ray of our unconsciousness,” the author means that dreams
A.
do harm to our mind
B.
show us our real mind
C.
solve our stress in mind
D.
give us a turning point in mind
2.
People will have recurring dreams when they_______________.
A.
1ive with great pressure or have great events
B.
do the same things all their lives
C.
move to a new home or a new city
D.
are comforted or frightened
3.
Which of the following is true according to Doctor Siegel?
A.
Dreams play a very important role in the world’s balance.
B.
Dreams help us find out the problems we need to solve.
C.
We should pay attention to every dream we have.
D.
Only the dreams with pleasure are important to us.
4.
How should we deal with the recurring nightmares?
A.
We should remember them because they are important to us.
B.
We can ignore them since they are just reflecting our emotions.
C.
We need to take some sleeping pills to stop this serious problem.
D.
We should see a psychological doctor if they are seriously disturbing
I was the youngest of five boys and also had four sisters who had to pull together and take care of each other. Dad wasn't around, so I never knew him well. He killed himself when I was three years old, leaving mom with the job of raising nine kids. She was a very hard worker, and in order to make ends meet, she hardly ever rested. With my mom as my example, I learned that hard work is the best way to get what you want. Even as a little boy, I knew I was going to be successful. Regardless of what I chose, I wanted to make my brothers, sisters and mom proud of me—not only by being successful in what I chose to do, but also as a person who could be looked up to for the right reasons. Surprising as it might seem, basketball wasn't in my plans. One day, my mom cut a rim(邊緣) off an old water barrel(水桶) and then held it up for me to throw an old rubber ball through. By junior high, I started playing basketball on a team. I loved to compete. For me, it paid off. I always put the effort in, every day. I am grateful for the life I've enjoyed as a basketball star. Basketball is not life. It can be exciting. But the most important thing about basketball is that it gives me a way to do good things for others as I move through this journey called life.
1.
It can be inferred that the author's________.
A.
brothers were more famous than him
B.
mother had a great influence on his career
C.
father loved his children and wife very much
D.
family was rich and happy when he was a child
2.
Why did the author's father kill himself?
A.
Because the family was poor.
B.
Because he often quarreled with his wife.
C.
Because he was seriously ill.
D.
The passage didn't tell us the reason.
3.
From the second paragraph, we can infer that________.
A.
the author was respected as a brave boy
B.
the author's family didn't like his career
C.
the author got on well with his mother, brothers and sisters
D.
the author helped his brothers and sisters succeed
For better eyesight, doctors advise limiting the hours of screen time and encourage having enough eye resting time. However, another study shows that sitting in front of computer or TV screens for long hours is not the only reason for myopia（近視）. An Australian research team studied young children in Sydney and Singapore to find the reasons for myopia. The research team found that the prevalence（流行）of myopia among children in Sydney was lower than children in Singapore, even though they spent more time in front of computer and TV screens. The major finding is that children in Sydney spend longer hours on outdoor activities than those in Singapore. Indoor and outdoor sports activities both make the eyes focus on more distant objects, which prevents the eyes from changing shape. But outdoor activities may better help avoid myopia than indoor sports activities. Jane Gwiazda, who does research in sight problems, says: “Natural light is good for eye growth. And extra vitamin D from the sun might contribute to eye growth.” Many doctors suggest that every child get its first eye test done when he/she is about two and half years old, and even if his/her sight seems perfect. It is necessary for myopic children to wear glasses to prevent headaches, trouble reading or injuries. It is also important that schools invite doctors to test their students’ eyes. If that is not possible, school teachers should at least encourage parents and children to have regular eye examinations and wear glasses. And parents should remember not only to limit the total screen time for their children, but also to encourage them to spend time outdoors.
1.
What’s the aim of the study by the Australian research team ?
A.
To find the reasons for myopia.
B.
To find the ways to treat myopia.
C.
To prove the bad effects of myopia.
D.
To prove the prevalence of myopia.
2.
Why are there fewer children with myopia in Sydney than in Singapore ?
A.
Because Sydney children watch less TV.
B.
Because Sydney children have more eye resting time.
C.
Because Sydney children use computers less.
D.
Because Sydney children do more outdoor sports.
3.
What conclusion can we draw from the passage ?
A.
Sydney children don’t study hard.
B.
Singapore children do few exercises.
C.
Outdoor activities do more good to eyes.
D.
Room light does harm to children’s eyes.
4.
Which of the following statements is TRUE ?
A.
Children should have eye tests as soon as they reach school age.
B.
Doing outdoor activities with no glasses is good for myopia children.
C.
Focusing on distant objects can help the eyes keep their original shape.
D.
Children should limit their time in the sun in order to protect their eyes.
