As a music teacher for twenty-seven years I have always known that music touches the soul. It can break through all kinds of barriers to reach students in a very special way. It can be the means for each child to find their light.

A few years ago I was blessed with the opportunity to teach pre-school students one afternoon a week. One of my most memorable students was Vanessa. She was five years old, had difficulty walking and could not speak. We mostly sat on the floor for our music lessons and Vanessa liked to sit on my lap. One of her favorite songs was John the Rabbit. It was a call and response song where I sang the call and the students clapped two times while singing the repeating phrase “Oh yes!” Vanessa liked to put her hands together with mine and clap with me. We performed that song during every class Vanessa and I clapped together. She never said or sang a word.

One day late in the school year when the song was finished Vanessa turned around, looked at me in the eye, clapped her tiny hands two times and said the words “Oh yes!” I opened my mouth and could not speak. Through music we had made a connection.

Several years later I came across Vanessa on the street in town. I stopped my car and waved to say hello. She waved back with a big smile on her face and then clapped her hands two times mimicking the song we had performed in our music class. This precious little girl through her connection with music left an impression on me that will last forever.

Every child has the ability to learn and grow. It is up to us educators to discover the way to reach each and every one of our students. We all must find each child’s light.

1.The author thinks music__________.

A．can make children calm down              B．can connect heart to heart

C．is difficult for pre-school students           D．is a good means to find a job

2.According to the second paragraph Vanessa_________.

A．got used to singing songs                  B．was too shy to speak

C．was the youngest in the class               D．enjoyed the author’s class

3.When Vanessa spoke the words “Oh yes!” the author felt________.

A．surprised         B．happy            C．frightened         D．satisfied

4.What can we infer from the last two paragraphs?

A．The author has been in touch with Vanessa for several years.

B．Vanessa became as healthy as other children.

C．The song made a deep impression on Vanessa.

D．Being a good educator became Vanessa’s dream.

 

Singapore’s public transport system (公共交通系统) is one of the best in the world, so you should have no problem finding your way around like a local (当地人). There are three main forms of public transport that you would find in any other major city—trains, buses and taxis.

TRAINS

Trains run from 6 a.m. to midnight. Single trip tickets start at 80 cents. If you buy an EZ-Link card for $15, you can ride the trains and buses all you like.

If you need more information, just call Transit Link on 1800 767 4333.

BUSES

There are several bus services in Singapore and fares (车费) start at 80 cents. Be sure to always ask the driver the cost of your ticket as he can not give changes.

If you need help, just call Transit Link on 1800 767 4333.

TAXIS

There are three main taxi companies—City Cab (6552 2222), Comfort (6552 1111) and Tibs (6552 8888). Booking (预订) can also be made easily by calling the numbers listed above.

RENTAL (租) CARS

Driving in Singapore is a pleasure and if you like to travel at your own pace, renting a car is a good choice. Renting takes away the trouble of getting to places around Singapore. Just sit back and enjoy the city. It also means you’ll get to see a lot more that a train or a bus won’t let you see.

For car rental, call Avis on +65 6737 1668.

1.If you need to find the bus number, you may call____________.

A．+65 6737 1668                         B．6552 8888

C．1800 767 4333                         D．6552 2222

2.By an EZ-Link card, you can take____________.

A．both buses and trains                    B．only trains

C．both buses and taxis                     D．only rental cars

3.When you take a bus there, always remember to ____________.

A．take your own license with you             B．ask the driver how much your ticket is

C．buy the bus map of Singapore              D．book your ticket ahead of time

4.What do you know about traveling in Singapore from the passage?

A．A local has no trouble finding his way around.

B．It’s much cheaper to go around by bus than by train.

C．You can see a lot more in Singapore only by renting a car.

D．It’s very convenient（方便的） for visitors to travel in Singapore.

 

In an American classroom, a Chinese girl was asked to answer a question. She stood up and smiled, without making any sound. The American teacher looked at himself and didn’t see anything funny. So he asked her the question again. The girl just smiled but said nothing. The teacher was angry. He didn’t know that the girl smiled to cover her embarrassment（尴尬）because she wasn’t able to answer the question.

In a dining room in Beijing, an Englishman was careless and dropped a plate. The Chinese who had seen this began to laugh. The Englishman felt uncomfortable and even got angry. “They are laughing at me,” he thought. In fact the Chinese laughed not at the Englishman or his bad luck—whether he is a foreigner or a Chinese. The smile or laughter has several feelings: don’t take it so seriously; laugh it off, it’s nothing; such things can happen to any of us.

1.The Chinese girl smiled in an American classroom because ________________.

A. she was asked to answer a question     B. she was asked to stand up

C. she couldn’t answer the question          D. the teacher looked funny

2.Which feeling is NOT included in the laughter when the Englishman dropped a plate?

A. Don’t take it seriously.                B. Bad luck!   

C. It’s nothing.                    D. It can happen to any of us.

3.What does the writer want to tell us?

A. Smile and laughter don’t mean the same thing to different people.

B. Smile and laughter always bring happiness.

C. American people are easy to get angry.

D. Chinese students are impolite

 

阅读下列短文，根据短文中的信息完成文后表格。（每空一词）

Smoking is bad for you, but what if your parents smoke? You might be worried about their health, be tired of smelling the smoke, or even a little embarrassed by it. You can’t order your parents to stop smoking, but you can encourage them to give up this bad habit. Tell them smoking is not good for their health.

If you think it will help, you could find some articles like this one and give them to your parents. Many states now have free programs to help people give up smoking. You might even see them advertised on billboards in your town. Point these out to your parents and encourage them to find out more about these programs.

What if your parents get angry with you for mentioning the topic of smoking? People don’t like to be told that they are doing something unhealthy, so it is possible your parents will be angry, especially if they are worried they won’t be able to give up smoking. Maybe they have tried before but failed.

Remember to be kind and show respect when you discuss smoking with your parents. Also remember that it is not easy to give up smoking. Some people have tried several times before they’re able to give up. Instead of shouting at them, tell them that you love them and want them to enjoy many healthy years ahead. They may eventually realize you are right about smoking.

If your parents agree to stop smoking, be their biggest supporter. Ask if there is anything you can do when they feel the desire to smoke. Maybe you could go for a walk, do a puzzle, or listen to music together. As they reach milestones, such as a month without smoking, Remember to celebrate the achievement.

Topic	★How to   1.your parents to give up smoking
2.	★Smoking   3.their health.
★You are either worried about their health or   4.with smelling their smoke.
Ways	★It may also be   5.to find some articles for them about giving up smoking. Tell them there are many free programs available.
★They are sure to   6.your advice so long as you love and respect them. It is important to remember that it is   7.to give up smoking.
To   8.their giving up smoking, you can do many things.	★Spend   9.time with them. For example, go for a walk, do a puzzle, or listen to music together.
★Don’t  10.to celebrate their achievement and encourage them.

 

 

One day a man found a cocoon(茧) of a butterfly in the forest. He sat there for several hours and watched the butterfly. Suddenly a small opening appeared, and the butterfly made its great effort to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no further.

So the man decided to help the butterfly. He cut off the remaining bit of the cocoon so that the butterfly could come out easily. But to his surprise, the butterfly got a heavy body and very small wings when it came out of the cocoon.

The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that the body would grow smaller at any moment and the wings would become larger and be able to fly. But neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling (爬) around with a heavy body and small wings. It was never able to fly.

The man was in his kindness, but he did not understand the nature rules. Before the butterfly came out of the cocoon, fluid(流体) from its body must be forced into its wings, and then it would be ready for flying. It must have a hard struggle (拼搏) to get through the small opening to get its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If God allowed us to go through our life without any difficulties, it would make us fail. We would not be as strong as we could have been; we could never fly.

1.What was the butterfly doing at the beginning of the story ?

A．It was trying to make a cocoon for itself.

B．It was struggling to get out of its cocoon.

C．It was flying among the trees in the forest.

D．It was crawling around quietly on the ground.

2.The man cut off the remaining bit of the cocoon

A．to take the butterfly home

B．to help the butterfly come out easily

C．to kill the butterfly

D．to stop the butterfly growing bigger

3.What do you think of the man?

A．Patient but cruel.

B．Careful and wise.

C．Kind but unwise.

D．Brave and funny.

4.What does the last paragraph（段落） tell us?

A．Struggles are sometimes necessary in our life.

B．Nothing is difficult if we put our heart into it.

C．Every good deed will come back with good result.

D．The greatest happiness in the world is to help others.

5.What is the best title for the story?

A．The Love for the Cocoon.

B．The Joy of Helping Each Other.

C．The Lesson of the Cocoon.

D．The Expectation for the Butterfly.