object that caused me to jump. It was a snake skin that had been shed by one of our many garden snakes.
"Isn"t it beautiful?" said my wideeyed sevenyearold daughter.
I stared at the organic wrapper and thought to myself that it really wasn"t that beautiful,but I have
learned never to appear uninterested with children. They see only good quality and excellence in the
world until educated otherwise.
"Why does it do this?" Sarah asked.
"Snakes shed their skin because they need to renew themselves." I explained. "Why do they need to
renew themselves?" Sarah asked.
I suddenly remembered an article on this page many years ago where the w
![](http://img.shitiku.com.cn/uploads/allimg/20191209/20191209122412-21006.png)
concept of renewal. She used layers of paper over a wall to describe how we hide our original selves, and
said that by peeling away those layers one by one, we see the original beneath. "We often need to shed our
skins and those coatings that we cover ourselves with." I said to my now absorbed daughter. "We outg
![](http://img.shitiku.com.cn/uploads/allimg/20191209/20191209122412-41344.png)
some things and find other ones unwanted or unnecessary. Tills snake no longer needs this skin. It is probably too crinkly (起皱的) for him, and he probably doesn"t think he looks as smart in it as he once did."
Sarah was getting the point. As we talked, I knew that she began to understand, although slightly, that
renewal is part of progress; that we need to take a good look at ourselves, our rooms, schoolwork and
creativity, and see what we need to keep and what we need to cast off. I was careful to point out that this
is a natural consequence of their growth.
"I see, Dad." said Sarah and jumped off my lap and ran off.
I hoped she would remember this. That often, in order to find our real selves underneath the layers of
community and culture with which we cover ourselves year after year, we need to start examining these
layers. We need to gently peel some away, as we recognize them to be worthless or unnecessary; or at
best, store the ones thrown away as mementoes (念想) of our promotion to a better vitality or spirit.
B. puzzled
C. uninterested
D. excited
B. to review what has been done
C. a natural part of getting mature
D. the process of finding the unwanted
B. shows concern for nature and culture
C. can grasp the chance to educate children
D. often encourages his daughter to raise questions
B. we should renew ourselves to get improved
C. snakes shed their skins to renew themselves
D. we should explore our original nature underneath
It 1 me of how many people I"ve seen who take the yellow light as a 2 to go faster.I also
can"t understand why people don"t move when the traffic light has turned green. Above all, there
are those 3 situations in which someone doesn"t even 4 that the light turns red, and just keeps
going.That is why so many 5 happen! All these situations make me 6 the purpose of traffic lights.
7 , it"s even more frightening to imagine letting people make their own decisions at __8 crossroads.Do the biggest cars get to go first? Who decides who goes next? So I guess I do like the idea of a
system to 9 traffic.And I"ll do my best to 10 the traffic rules: to go, to be cautious, and to stop
when I"m 11 to.
It occurs to me that my 12 have done much the same for me 13 teaching me how to live.
They have given me many 14 lights: to get along well with others, to listen and talk to them, to help
others, and to 15 with joy and purpose.They have also given me some red lights 16 my life goes
astray(误入歧途): not to be greedy, to keep my temper, and to control my desires.And there 17
have been some yellow caution lights: to watch how much I drink, to keep control of my behavior, and
to 18 school regularly and work hard.
If I obey these rules, my life will be as 19 as it can be.Just as I"m wise to pay attention to the
traffic lights when I"m walking across the street, I"m wise to pay attention to the" 20 signals" given to
me by my parents.
( )2.A.sight
( )3.A.instant
( )4.A.notice
( )5.A.events
( )6.A.think of
( )7.A.Besides
( )8.A.noisy
( )9.A.control
( )10.A.learn
( )11.A.supposed
( )12.A.teachers
( )13.A.in charge of
( )14.A.safe
( )15.A.live
( )16.A.unless
( )17.A.still
( )18.A.start
( )19.A.good
( )20.A.traffic
B.signal
B.exciting
B.sense
B.problems
B.wonder about
B.Anyway
B.narrow
B.direct
B.obey
B.used
B.friends
B.in face of
B.green
B.share
B.when
B.even
B.attend
B.colorful
B.light
C.message
C.dangerous
C.remember
C.situations
C.care for
C.Instead
C.crowded
C.improve
C.protect
C.devoted
C.leaders
C.in terms of
C.beneficial
C.work
C.before
C.only
C.leave
C.meaningful
C.life
D.switch
D.cautious
D.feel
D.accidents
D.worry about
D.However
D.key
D.serve
D.carry
D.delighted
D.parents
D.in danger of
D.helpful
D.communicate
D.till
D.also
D.miss
D.healthy
D.confidence
He got up one morning very late because he had forgotten to wind up his alarm clock(闹钟). He tried
to shave(刮脸)quickly and cut himself. When he got dressed he got blood all over his clean shirt, so he
had to find another one. The only other shirt that was clean needed ironing(熨), so he ironed it. While he
was ironing it, there was a knock at the door. It was the man to read the electricity meter(表). He showed him where the meter was, said good-bye and found that the iron had burnt a hole in his shirt. So he had
to wear the one with the blood on it after all. By this time it was very late, so he decided he couldn"t go to work by bus. He telephoned for a taxi to take him to work. The taxi arrived and Harry got in and began
to read the newspaper.
In another part of the town, a man had killed a woman with a knife and was seen to run away in a taxi. When Harry"s taxi stopped outside his office, a policeman happened to be standing there. He saw the
blood on Harry"s shirt, and took him to the police station. He was kept till 3 o"clock in the afternoon before the police were sure that he was not the man they wanted. When he finally arrived at the office at about
four, his boss took a look at him and told him to go away and find another job.
B. an unlucky day
C. a busy day
D. a good day
b. Harry ironed his shirt.
c. Harry got blood all over his clean shirt.
d. There was a knock at the door.
e. Harry wore the shirt with blood on it.
A. a, b, c, d, e
B. b, a, d, c, e
C. b, a, c, d, e
D. c, b, d, a, e
B. The only other needed ironing.
C. He had only one shirt.
D. He cut himself and got blood all over his shirt.
B. there was blood on his shirt and he was in a taxi
C. a man killed a woman with a knife
D. the murderer(***人犯)was seen to run away in a taxi
B. there was blood on his shirt
C. he was late for work
D. he had killed a woman
阅读理解
Ten years ago, Pierre Omidyar, a software engineer working in California’s Silicon Valley, began
thinking about how to use the internet for a trading system in which buyers and sellers could establish
a genuine market price. Over a long holiday weekend he wrote the computer code. At first, a trickle
of users arrived at his website-including his girlfriend, who traded PEZ candy dispensers. By the end
of 1995, several thousand auctions had been completed and interest in eBay was growing. And it grew
and grew. From this modest beginning, eBay has become a global giant, with around 150m registered
users worldwide who are set to buy and sell goods worth more than $40 billion this year.
The remarkable tale of eBay’s growth points to some important lessons for any business trying to
operate online-and today that includes, one way or another, most firms. The commercial opportunities
presented by an expanding global web seem almost limitless. But the pace of change is rapid, and so
is the ferocity(激烈)of competition. To succeed, firms need agility(灵活), an open mind and the
ability to reinvent themselves repeatedly. Most of all, they need to listen carefully to their customers,
paying close attention to what they do and don’t want.
Such qualities, of course, would be valuable in any kind of business. Yet for online firms they are
not a luxury, but necessary for mere survival. This is true for a variety of reasons. The internet is not
only growing, but changing rapidly-which, in turn, changes the rules of the game for any business
relying on it. The barriers to entry are still low compared with those for most offline businesses,
which means that just keeping track of your existing rivals is not enough. These may not represent the
greatest competitive threat tomorrow or the next day. That could come from a number of
directions-a firm in a different type of online business; one that does not yet exist; or even from one
of your own customers. On top of all this, the behavior of many consumers is constantly changing
as well, as individuals discover new ways to shop and interact with each other via the web.
All these factors make the internet a dangerous place to do business, as well as one full of
promise. eBay’s history demonstrates both of those things. It is probably safe to say that nothing
like eBay could have existed without the internet-or could have grown so fast. Even though there have
been signs of the firm’s blistering(快速的) pace slowing a bit in America, its most “mature” market,
there remain vast opportunities overseas, particularly, some argue, in China. Meg Whitman, eBay’s
chief executive, believes the company is still only at the beginning of what it could achieve.
1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?
A. To introduce the founder of eBay and his girlfriend.
B. To demonstrate how clever the founder of eBay is.
C. To show how eBay started and has grown.
D. To introduce eBay to people.
2. Which of the following best summarizes Pierre Omidyar’s intention with regard to eBay?
A. To set up a global internet business.
B. To allow people to freely buy and sell on the internet at acceptable prices.
C. To set up a mechanism on the internet to allow people to trade at true market prices.
D. To se up a business mechanism for his girlfriend.
3. Which of these is it NOT necessary for a company selling on the internet to do?
A. Have the most competitive price for each of their online products.
B. Be able to change to suit the prevailing(流行的,优势的)market conditions.
C. Be prepared to consider all options and alternatives.
D. Have a good idea of what their customers do not want.
4. What does “barriers to entry are still low compared with those for most offline businesses”
in paragraph 3 mean?
A. It is easier to set up an internet business than a conventional one.
B. Internet trade is growing faster than traditional business sector.
C. It is cheaper to set up an internet business than a traditional one.
D. Companies generally prefer to do business online rather than offline.
5. Why does the article conclude that the internet “is a dangerous place to do business”?
A. Because companies that sell online may be unreliable.
B. Because there are no controls on doing business on the internet.
C. Because doing business online is unpredictable.
D. Because even companies like eBay have problems doing business online.
I am an art student and I paint a lot of pictures. Many People 1 (假装)that they understand
modern art. They always tell you what a picture is “about ” Of c 2 , many pictures are not “about ”
anything.They are just pretty patterns. We like them in the s 3 way that we like pretty curtain
4 (材料). I think that young children often appreciate modern pictures 5 than anyone
else. They notice more. My sister is o 6 seven, but she always tells me 7 my pictures are
good or not. She came into my room yesterday. “What are you doing?” she asked. “I"m 8 (挂)
this picture on the wall, ” I answered. “It"s a new one. Do you like it? ” She looked at it critically for
a moment. “It"s all right,” she said, “but isn"t it upside 9 ?” I looked at it again. She was r 10 !
It was!
on in its 1 way, but mine couldn"t. I wasn"t sure how I was going to be able to face 2 and their gossip at
school. I was forced to 3 my routine on Monday morning as usual. In the evening I returned home from
school 4 completely defeated. All I wanted to do was 5 into bed and wallow(沉迷于)in my own
self-pity. I pulled back the covers on my bed and 6 a pile of cards left by my dad. Each card included
a(n) 7 that it was to be opened on a 8 night that week.
I made it through that week 9 my father. Each card 10 to say just what I needed to hear.
Tuesday’s card said, “The past is painful to think about and the 11 is impossible to imagine. Don"t try. Just
take it one minute at a time.” On Wednesday my mood 12 when I read, “What you are feeling now is
13 and normal. It still feels very bad, but it is part of the healing 14 .” Friday’s card contained a poem he
wrote. The last lines made me smile through my tears. “Whatever special 15 you face along life’s way,
may you 16 that you will find the best in every day.” I was instructed to open the last card 17 the party I
went to on Saturday night. In it he wisely reminded me to 18 . “The world isn"t so bad after a good laugh.
The more you laugh, the more you heal.” Each card was signed, “Love, Dad.”
My world once collapsed but I 19 the difficult breakup eventually. It owed to my dad , who made
his 20 known when he couldn"t be present.
( )2. A. everyone
( )3. A. work out
( )4. A. making
( )5. A. crawl
( )6. A. invented
( )7. A. instruction
( )8. A. regular
( )9. A.in favor of
( )10. A. seemed
( )11. A.life
( )12. A. fell
( )13. A. false
( )14. A. content
( )15. A.destruction
( )16. A. trust
( )17. A. before
( )18. A. cry
( )19. A.got through
( )20. A. schedule
B. anyone
B. meet with
B. feeling
B. push
B. discovered
B. explanation
B. flexible
B. regardless of
B. happened
B. future
B. passed
B. honest
B. process
B. competition
B. guess
B. since
B. scream
B. looked through
B. concept
C. someone
C. deal with
C. regarding
C. jump
C. created
C. presentation
C. particular
C. in search of
C. occurred
C. dream
C. flied
C natural
C. cure
C. challenges
C. predict
C. after
C. sing
C. broke through
C. soul
D. nobody
D. come across
D. considering
D. draw
D. wrote
D. information
D. legal
D. because of
D. intended
D. result
D. lifted
D. innocent
D. progress
D. destination
D. succeed
D. till
D. laugh
D. put through
D. confidence
- 1若⊙O1的半径为3,⊙O2的半径为1,且O1O2=4,则⊙O1与⊙O2的位置关系是( )A.内含B.内切C.相交D.外
- 2一个地区自然地理环境的形成往往是气候在起主导作用,我国有一个地区,形成自然地理环境的主导因素却是地形地势,这个地区是A.
- 3听下面一段对话,回答小题。1.Which school does Li Li come from? A. No. 54
- 4读“杨家沟纵剖面治理措施图”完成各题。(10分)小题1:杨家沟地区生态环境问题主要是由于 作用和
- 5取一张用饱和NaCl溶液浸湿的蓝色石蕊试纸,两根铅笔芯作电极,接通直流电源,一段时间后,发现b电极与试纸接触处出现一个双
- 6阅读下列材料,回答问题。中华人民共和国是工人阶级领导的、以工农联盟为基础的人民民主国家……中华人民共和国的一切权力属于人
- 7(5分)小明加热KClO3和MnO2的混合物制取O2,收集到所需的O2后试管内剩余固体24.6g,由小霞继续加热,充分反
- 8“一只桨终止了和另一只桨的协作,这只船只能在湖中绕圈子,而不能直达彼岸”这句谚语启示我们,正确处理我国社会主义民族关系必
- 9有人这样比喻政府机构中的分工和职责:蝗虫飞在天上,农业部门要管;落在树上,林业部门要管;趴在草丛里,畜牧部门要管;飞到公
- 10 — a volunteer is great.—I think so. Some of us want
- 1如图所示,电阻不计的平行金属导轨与水平面成θ角,导轨与定值电阻R1和R2相连,匀强磁场垂直穿过导轨平面。有一导体棒ab,
- 2小王是应届大学毕业生,虽然品学兼优,但在就业过程中颇为不顺,因为他是乙肝病毒携带者,所以遭到了许多用人单位的拒绝。上述材
- 3如图所示是某厂生产的高钙片标签上的部分文字,请仔细阅读后回答下列问题:(1)碳酸钙中碳、氧元素的质量比为______.(
- 4如图所示,一弹丸从离地高度H=1.95m的A点以v0=8.0m/s的初速度水平射出,恰以平行于斜面的速度射入静止在固定斜
- 5西气东输的起点“轮南油气田”在( )A.塔里木盆地B.准噶尔盆地C.吐鲁番盆地D.柴达木盆地
- 6阅读下面文言文,完成后面题目。华歆字子鱼,平原高唐人也。太祖征孙权,表歆为军师。魏国既建,为御史大夫。文帝即王位,拜相国
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- 8请找出美国内战、俄国农奴制改革的共同点:A.都是对农民的掠夺B.都是自上而下的改革C.都顺应了资本主义的发展的需要D.都
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