Many of us have heard stories about teachers who can “see” into a student’s future. Even if a student is not performing well, they can predict success. We are convinced that this ability, this gift, is evidence that they were “called to teach.” If the gift of sight is evidence, how greater must be the gift of touch. I have a story.
I grew up in the fifties in a poor African American neighborhood in Stockton, California, that had neither sidewalks nor an elementary school. Each day, always in groups at our parents’ insistence, my friends and I would leave home early enough to walk eight blocks to school and be in our seats when the bell rang. For four blocks, we walked on dusty roads. By the fifth block, we walked on sidewalks that led to lovely homes and to Fair Oaks Elementary School. It was at Fair Oaks, in a sixth grade English class, that I met Ms. Victoria Hunter, a teacher who had a huge influence on my life.
During reading periods, she would walk around the room, stop at our desks, stand over us for a second or two, and then touch us. Without saying anything to us (nothing could break the silence of reading periods), she would place two fingers lightly on our throats and hold them there for seconds. I learned many years later when I was a student at Stanford University that teachers touch the throat of students to check for sub-vocalization (默读), which slows down the reading speed. I did not know at the time why Ms. Hunter was touching our throats, but I was a serious and respectful student and so, during silent reading period, I did what Ms. Hunter told us to do. I kept my eyes on the material I was reading and waited for her to place her fingers lightly on my throat.
One day, out of curiosity, I raised my head from my book — though not high — so that I could see Ms. Hunter, a white woman from Canada, moving up and down the rows, stopping at the desks of my classmates. I wanted to see how they reacted when she touched their throats. She walked past them. I was confused. Did she pass them by because they were model students? What did we, the students who were touched, not do right? I sat up straighter in my chair, thinking that my way of sitting might be the problem. I was confused. Several days later, I watched again, this time raising my head a little higher. Nothing changed. Ms. Hunter touched the same students. Always, she touched me.
She touched me with her hands. She also touched me with her belief in my ability to achieve. She motivated me by demanding the best from me and by letting teachers I would meet in junior high school know that I should be challenged, that I would be serious about my work. I am convinced that she touched me because she could “see” me in the future. That was true of all of us at Fair Oaks who sat still and silent as Ms. Hunter placed her fingers lightly on our throats. We left Fair Oaks as “best students,” entered John Marshall Junior High School, finished at the top of our high school class, and went on to earn graduate degrees in various subjects. Ms. Hunter saw us achieving and she touched us to make certain that we would.
I was not surprised that she came to my graduation ceremony at Edison High School in Stockton or that she talked to me about finishing college and earning a Ph. D. She expected that of me. She gave me a beautifully wrapped box. Inside was a gift, the beauty of which multiplies even as it touches me: a necklace to which I can add charms for each stage of my life.
【小题1】According to the writer, what is a special ability many good teachers possess?
A.The ability to make all students behave well. |
B.The ability to treat different students in the same way. |
C.The ability to discover a student’s potential to succeed. |
D.The ability to predict the near future of a poor student. |
A.disturbed | B.puzzled | C.ashamed | D.annoyed |
A.A gift which encourages me to do well on the journey of my life. |
B.A gift which becomes more and more valuable as time goes by. |
C.A necklace which I wear on all important occasions in my life. |
D.A necklace which suits me and adds to my charm. |
A.Ms. Hunter’s Surprise | B.Ms. Hunter’s Challenge |
C.A Teacher’s Touch | D.A Teacher’s Memory |
【小题1】C
【小题2】B
【小题3】A
【小题4】C
解析试题分析:文章通过讲述Ms. Hunter对学生触摸喉咙确保他们有正确的学习方法,这对作者有很大的影响。
【小题1】细节题:从文章第一段的句子:Many of us have heard stories about teachers who can “see” into a student’s future. Even if a student is not performing well, they can predict success. We are convinced that this ability,可知很多老师拥有的特殊的技能是发现学生有成功的潜力的能力,选C
【小题2】细节题:从第四段的句子:I wanted to see how they reacted when she touched their throats. She walked past them. I was confused.可知当作者看见Ms. Hunter从一些学生旁边走过没有触摸他们的喉咙,她感到很困惑。选B。
【小题3】推理题:从文章最后一段的句子:I was not surprised that she came to my graduation ceremony at Edison High School in Stockton or that she talked to me about finishing college and earning a Ph. D. She expected that of me.可知这个项链鼓励作者在人生道路上走的更好,选A
【小题4】标题确定题:从这篇文章给读者讲述的故事和第一段的主题句:If the gift of sight is evidence, how greater must be the gift of touch. I have a story.可知老师的触摸给了作者鼓励和严格的要求,使学生能达到应该有的高度。选C
考点:考查故事类短文
科目:高中英语 来源: 题型:阅读理解
French novelist Jules Verne (1828~1905) is often called the father of science fictions.Although he was not a great traveller himself,his characters journeyed to the moon (in From Earth to Moon),Under the sea (in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea),into a volcano (in A Journey to the Centre of the Earth),around the world (in Around the World in Eighty Days) and to many other places.
Jules Verne was born in the French city of Nantes in 1828.When he was a boy he ran away from home to work on a ship.However,his father soon found him and brought him home.After that he decided that any future travel he did would be in books.In 1847,his father sent Jules to Paris to study to be a lawyer.Even though he was busy writing,Verne passed his exams in 1849 with high marks.
When Jules told his father he did not want to be a lawyer,his father was very angry.He stopped sending his son any money,so Jules had to earn a living by his writing.Over the next few years he wrote many stories and plays which brought him only a little money.Then,in 1856,he met Honorine de Viane,a rich,young widow with two children.The couple married the next year and their only child Michel was born in 1862.
After his marriage,Verne worked as a businessman in Paris.However,he was not very successful at his job and spent most of his time writing books and doing research for the next one.In 1863,he published his novel Five Weeks in a Balloon and in the following year he published A Journey to the Centre of the Earth which brought him fame.His books became so popular and earned him so much money that he was able to leave his job and work full time on his writing.
In his lifetime,Jules Verne wrote more than 50 books and he became a rich man.Many of this imaginative novels have been turned into films.
【小题1】Jules Verne became rich because of his________.
A.father | B.marriage |
C.business | D.writing |
A.he would go on more travels in the future |
B.he would do as his father required |
C.he would be devoted to writing about future travels |
D.he would stop writing about future travels |
A.Five Weeks in a Balloon. |
B.A Journey to the Centre of the Earth. |
C.From Earth to Moon. |
D.Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. |
A.Jules Verne was appreciated by film makers. |
B.Jules Verne was not clever enough to learn law. |
C.Jules Verne’s stories and plays won him big fame in the 1850s. |
D.Jules Verne’s wife helped him a lot in his writing career. |
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科目:高中英语 来源: 题型:阅读理解
The idea for the book Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone came to Joanne Kathleen Rowling in 1990. It took her seven years to finish writing it. During those seven years she had a number of jobs, including one job as an English teacher in Portugal.
Rowling sent the book to four publishers before one of them bought it. She was very happy to sell her book because it was her life's dream to be a published writer. Before she sold her book, Rowling was living in a small apartment with her daughter and was so poor that she could not afford heat in the winter.
Harry Potter became very successful with children and adults in England. The book also really took off in the United States. After her second and third books were published, the three Harry Potter books filled the top three places on many newspapers' lists of best-sellers. Then the books were made into popular movies. Without question, Rowling's life had completely changed, in just three years.
Harry Potter books have now sold more than 30 million books around the world and have been translated into more than thirty-five languages. In 1997, Rowling was earning £70 (about US$110) a week. By the end of 2001, she had earned over £150 million ($250 million), making her one of the most successful female writers of all time.
【小题1】This reading is about _________.
A.Harry Potter's life | B.the writer's life |
C.how the book became a movie | D.why Harry Potter is popular |
A.Four publishers bought it. |
B.It took the writer several years to finish it. |
C.It was first published in Portugal. |
D.Rowling got the idea from her daughter. |
A.to be a magician | B.to make a movie |
C.to have her books published | D.to be an English teacher |
A.more than 35 | B.about 135 | C.about 90 | D.more than 150 |
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科目:高中英语 来源: 题型:阅读理解
In 1978, I was 18 and was working as a nurse in a small town about 270 km away from Sydney, Australia. I was looking forward to having five days off from duty. Unfortunately, the only one train a day back to my home in Sydney had already left. So I thought I’d hitch a ride (搭便车).
I waited by the side of the highway for three hours but no one stopped for me. Finally, a man walked over and introduced himself as Gordon. He said that although he couldn’t give me a lift, I should come back to his house for lunch. He noticed me standing for hours in the November heat and thought I must be hungry. I was doubtful as a young girl but he assured (使……放心)me I was safe, and he also offered to help me find a lift home afterwards. When we arrived at his house, he made us sandwiches. After lunch, he helped me find a lift home.
Twenty-five years later, in 2003, while I was driving to a nearby town one day, I saw an elderly man standing in the glaring heat, trying to hitch a ride. I thought it was another chance to repay someone for the favor I’d been given decades earlier. I pulled over and picked him up. I made him comfortable on the back seat and offered him some water.
After a few moments of small talk, the man said to me, “You haven’t changed a bit, even your red hair is still the same.”
I couldn’t remember where I’d met him. He then told me he was the man who had given me lunch and helped me find a lift all those years ago. It was Gordon.
【小题1】The author(作者) had to hitch a ride one day in 1978 because____________ .
A.the town was far away from Sydney |
B.she was going home for her holidays |
C.she missed the only train back home |
D.her work delayed her trip to Sydney |
A.He helped the girl find a ride. |
B.He gave the girl a ride back home. |
C.He bought sandwiches for the girl. |
D.He watched the girl for three hours. |
A.she realized he was Gordon |
B.she had known him for decades |
C.she was going to the nearby town |
D.she wanted to pay back the help she once got |
A.People should offer free rides to others. |
B.Those who give rides will be repaid. |
C.Good manners bring about happiness. |
D.Sometimes giving produces nice results. |
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科目:高中英语 来源: 题型:阅读理解
Some people succeed in unbelievable ways.
Roussel was orphaned at the age of eight and went to live with his grandfather. He built on the music he had learned from his mother, entertaining himself by reading through the family music collection and playing his favorite songs on the piano.
Three years later, Roussel’s grandfather died, and his aunt adopted him. Her husband arranged for young Albert to take regular piano lessons. Summer vacations at a Belgian seaside resort added a second love to his life -- the sea. He studied to be a naval cadet (海军学员), but still made time to study music.
In the French Navy, while he served on a warship based at Cherbourg, he and two friends found the time to play the music of Beethoven and other composes (作曲家). Roussel also began composing. At the Church of the Trinity in Cherbourg on Christmas Day 1892, he had his first performance as a composer.
That success encouraged Roussel to write a wedding march, and one of his fellow offices offered to show it to a well-known conductor (指挥家), Edouard Colonne. When Roussel’s friend returned with the manuscript (手稿), he reported that Colonne had advised Roussel to give up his naval career and devote his life to music.
Not long afterwards, at the age of 25, Roussel did just that. He applied characters that he had developed in the navy to his composing and became a major force in twentieth century French music. As for Eduoard Colonne’s inspiring advice that Roussel devote his life to music, Roussel's navy friend later admitted that he had made it up and that he had never even shown Roussel's manuscript to the conductor.
【小题1】Which of the following shows the right order of the story?
a. Roussel gave up his naval career.
b. Roussel was adopted by his aunt.
c. Roussel read through the family music collection.
d. Roussel had his first performance as a composer in Cherbourg.
A.c, b, d, a | B.b. c, d, a | C.b, c, a. d | D.c, b, a, d |
A.his mother | B.the husband of his aunt |
C.his navy friend | D.Edouard Colonne |
A.Roussel's aunt adopted him after his grandfather died. |
B.Roussel read through the family music collection in his grandfather's. |
C.Colonne advised Roussel to give up his naval career and devote his life to music. |
D.If Roussel hadn't joined the navy, he might not have achieved so much. |
A.A clever musician | B.A white lie |
C.A helpful conductor | D.A great manuscript |
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科目:高中英语 来源: 题型:阅读理解
When Luca first heard of the Island of Inventions, he was still very young. But its wonders sounded so incredible that they were forever burned in his memory. From that moment, he never stopped searching for clues which might lead him to the island. He read hundreds of adventure books, histories, volumes of physics and chemistry, even music.
Over time, he pieced together his idea of what the Island of Inventions was like. It was a secret place, where all the great wise men of the world would meet to learn and invent together. Access to the island was totally restricted. To join, you had to have created some great invention for humanity. Only then could you receive the special invitation — which came with directions to the island.
So Luca spent his youth studying and inventing. Every new idea he got, he made it into an invention, and if there were something he didn't understand, he’d seek others to help him. Soon he met other young inventors and he told them about the Island of Inventions. They too dreamed of one day receiving an invitation letter.
As years passed, the disappointment of not receiving their invitation made Luca and his friends work harder and co-operate more. They would meet in Luca's house, share their ideas and build new machines. Their inventions became known throughout the world, and improved the lives of millions.
But still, no invitation came.
They didn’t lose heart. They continued learning and inventing every day, trying to come up with more and better ideas. Fresh young talent joined their group, as more inventors dreamed of getting to the island.
One day many years later, Luca, already very old, was speaking with a brilliant young man named Roberts, who had written to him, asking him to join the group. Luca started telling the man of the wonderful Island of Inventions, and of how he was sure that some day they would receive an invitation. Surprised, the young inventor interrupted: “You mean this place isn’t the Island of Inventions? Isn't the letter you sent me the real invitation?”
It was only then that Luca realised that his dream had become true in his very own house. No island could exist which would be better than where he was now. No place of invention would be better than what he and his friends had created. Luca felt happy to know that he had always been on the island, and that his life of invention and study had been a truly happy one.
【小题1】Why did Luca and his colleagues probably never receive an invitation to the island?
A.Their ideas were not considered worthy enough. |
B.They were too concerned with acquiring fame. |
C.The organization had already broken up. |
D.The island was not a real place. |
A.The island of inventions did not exist. |
B.He had wasted most of his life. |
C.He had unknowingly built his own dreamland. |
D.He finally would receive his invitation. |
A.Aggressive. | B.Trusting. | C.Creative. | D.Easy-going. |
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科目:高中英语 来源: 题型:阅读理解
There are two things I can count on my dad asking every time he calls me: “Is there anything I can do for you?” and “How’s the car?” I guess he asks what he can do for me because his dad (an air force officer) was never really there for him, and he’s determined to provide me with the support he lacked. During my youth he never missed a school play or softball game. In fact, he was so supportive that I sometimes longed for one of those dads who dressed better and cared less. But my dad would forever be the guy wearing shorts with dress shoes and black socks, cheering me on, expecting greatness.
His other standard question—How’s the car? -- used to strike me as a waste of long-distance dollars from a man who once suggested making a list of what you want to talk about before calling someone out of state. What I now realize is that “How’s the car?” is not about the car. It’s a father’s way of asking his adult daughter how she is doing. The advantage is that if there’s something wrong with the car, he knows what to do about it and how much it will cost, whereas if you’re having problems about marriage or doubting a career choice, he might have to act Mom on the line.
At age thirty I finally took the plunge(跳进) into adulthood by renting a car without my dad’s help or advice. I’m sure my dad was hurt rather than proud. Though a daughter’s independence is evidence of a job well done, it still implies the job’s done, and many fathers are unwilling to retire. Even when my dad was overworked, he’d happily jump on a plane if I said I needed help. His frequent question “Is there anything I can do for you?” underlines the fact that he wishes there was still something he could provide. It’s interesting: Even though we’re tied by blood and I love him no matter what, he still seems to need a concrete function -- suggesting stocks, finding the cheapest plane fare -- to feel he has a role in my life.
【小题1】In the author’s opinion, her father always attended her school plays or softball games to_____.
A.satisfy any demand she made to him |
B.show his interest and watch them for fun |
C.make up what he was previously short of |
D.expect his daughter would be great in games |
A.reminding her not to waste money |
B.asking how his daughter is getting along |
C.expressing his concern for her daughter’s safety |
D.asking his daughter if the car breaks down or not |
A.he wants to continue to earn money |
B.he is doubtful of children’s independence |
C.he won’t put an end to caring for his children |
D.he is afraid of losing connection with children |
A.has a strong passion for his work |
B.has the deepest love for his children |
C.has great interest in his daughter’s car |
D.has too much control over his children |
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科目:高中英语 来源: 题型:阅读理解
When 19yearold Sophia Giorgi said she was thinking of volunteering to help the MakeAWish Foundation (基金会),nobody understood what she was talking about.But Sophia knew just how important MakeAWish could be because this special organization had helped to make a dream come true for one of her best friends.We were interested in finding out more,so we went along to meet Sophia and listen to what she had to say.
Sophia told us that MakeAWish is a worldwide organization that started in the United States in 1980.“It’s a charity(慈善机构)that helps children who have got very serious illnesses.MakeAWish helps children feel happy even though they are sick,by making their wishes and dreams come true,”Sophia explained.
We asked Sophia how MakeAWish had first started.She said it had all begun with a very sick young boy called Chris,who had been dreaming for a long time of becoming a policeman.Sophia said lots of people had wanted to find a way to make Chris’s dream come true-so,with everybody’s help,Chris,only seven years old at the time,had been a“policeman”for a day.“When people saw how delighted Chris was when his dream came true,they decided to try and help other sick children too,and that was the beginning of MakeAWish,”explained Sophia.
Sophia also told us the Foundation tries to give children and their families a special,happy time.A MakeAWish volunteer visits the families and asks the children what they would wish for if they could have anything in the world.Sophia said the volunteers were important because they were the ones who helped to make the wishes come true.They do this either by providing things that are necessary,or by raising money or helping out in whatever way they can.
【小题1】Sophia found out about MakeAWish because her best friend had________.
A.benefited from it |
B.volunteered to help it |
C.dreamed about it |
D.told the author about it |
A.is an international charity |
B.was understood by nobody at first |
C.raises money for very poor families |
D.started by drawing the interest of the public |
A.He has been a policeman since he was seven. |
B.He gave people the idea of starting MakeAWish. |
C.He wanted people to help make his dream come true. |
D.He was the first child MakeAWish helped after it had been set up. |
A.They are important for making wishes come true. |
B.They try to help children get over their illnesses. |
C.They visit sick children to make them feel special. |
D.They provide what is necessary to make MakeAWish popular. |
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科目:高中英语 来源: 题型:阅读理解
Nelson Mandela was a figure of international fame, and many details of his life and career were public knowledge. But here are four things you may not have known about the late South African leader.
1. He was a boxing fan.
In his youth, Nelson Mandela enjoyed boxing and long-distance running. Even during the 27 years he spent in prison, he would exercise every morning. "I did not enjoy the violence of boxing so much as the science of it. I was curious by how one moved one's body to protect oneself, how one used a strategy both to attack and retreat, how one paced oneself over a match," he wrote in his autobiography Long Walk to Freedom.
2. His original name was not Nelson.
Rolihlahla Mandela was nine years old when a teacher at the primary Methodist school where he was studying in Qunu, South Africa, gave him an English name “Nelson” in accordance with the custom to give all school children Christian names.
3. He forgot his glasses when he was released from prison.
Mr. Mandela's release on 11 February 1990 followed years of political pressure against apartheid(种族隔离). Mr. Mandela's reading glasses stayed behind in prison Mr. Mandela and his then-wife Winnie were taken to the centre of Cape Town to address a huge and exciting crowd. But when he pulled out the text of his speech, he realized he had forgotten his glasses and had to borrow Winnie's.
4. He had his own law firm, but it took him years to get a law degree.
Mr. Mandela studied law on and off for 50 years from 1939, failing about half the courses he took. A two-year diploma(学位证书) in law on top of his university degree allowed him to practice, and in August 1952, he and Oliver Tambo set up South Africa's first black law firm, Mandela and Tambo, in Johannesburg. He kept on studying hard to finally secure a law degree while in prison in 1989.
【小题1】What is the main idea of the passage?
A.Nelson Mandela’s life in the prison. |
B.The achievements of Nelson Mandela. |
C.Nelson Mandela’s hobbies and career. |
D.Unknown things about Nelson Mandela. |
A.Because he wanted to be a boxer. |
B.Because he enjoyed the violence of boxing. |
C.Because he appreciated the strategy in boxing. |
D.Because he had nothing else to do in the prison. |
A.He broke his glasses into pieces. |
B.He had to use his wife’s glasses. |
C.He left his own glasses at home. |
D.His wife wanted to borrow his glasses. |
A.Nelson Mandela was not his original name. |
B.Nelson Mandela was the name given by his teacher. |
C.Nelson Mandela had been studying the law nonstop for 50 years. |
D.Nelson Mandela had started his own law firm before he got a law degree. |
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