When Frida Kahlo’s paintings were on show in London，a poet described her paintings as “a ribbon(絲帶) around a bomb”．Such comments seem to suggest Kahlo had a big influence on the art world of her time.Sadly，she is actually a_much_bigger_name today than she was during her time.
Born in 1907 in a village near Mexico City，Kahlo suffered from polio(小兒麻痹癥) at the age of seven.Her spine(脊柱) became bent as she grew older.Then，in 1925，her back was broken in several places in a school­bus accident.Throughout the rest of her life，the artist had many operations，but nothing was able to cure the terrible pain in her back.However，the accident had an unexpected side effect.While lying in her bed recovering，Kahlo taught herself to paint.
In 1929，she got married to Diego Rivera，another famous Mexican artist.Rivera’s strong influence on Kahlo’s style can be seen in her early works，but her later works from the 1940s，known today as her best works，show less influence from her husband.
Unfortunately，her works did not attract much attention in the 1930s and 1940s，even in her home country.Her first one­woman show in Mexico was not held until 1953.For more than a decade after her death in 1954，Kahlo’s works remained largely unnoticed by the world，but in the 1970s her works began to gain international fame at last.            (2012·安徽，C)
【小題1】What does the phrase “a much bigger name” in Paragraph 1 most nearly mean?

A．a(chǎn) far better artist

B．a(chǎn) far more gifted artist

C．a(chǎn) much stronger person

D．a(chǎn) much more famous person

【小題2】The terrible pain Kahlo suffered was caused by________.

A．polio	B．her bent spine
C．back injuries	D．the operations she had

【小題3】Kahlo’s style had become increasingly independent since the________.

A．1930s	B．1940s
C．1950s	D．1970s

【小題4】What is the author’s attitude toward Kahlo?

A．Devotion.	B．Sympathy.
C．Worry.	D．Encouragement.

Rocky Lyons was five years old when his mother，Kelly，was driving along the country road with him.He was asleep on the front seat of their truck，with his feet resting on her lap.As his mom drove carefully down the winding country road，she turned onto a narrow bridge.The truck hit a rock and slid off the road.She attempted to bring it back up onto the road by pressing hard on the gas pedal(踏板) and turning the steering wheel(方向盤) to the left.But Rocky’s foot got caught between her leg and the steering wheel and she lost control of the truck.
The truck fell into a 20­foot ravine(峽谷)．When it hit bottom，Rocky woke up.“What happened，Mama？” he asked.“Our wheels are pointing toward the sky.”
Kelly was seriously wounded and blinded by blood.“I’ll get you out，Mama，”announced Rocky，who had surprisingly escaped injury.He climbed out from under Kelly，slid through the open window and tried to yank his mother out.But she didn’t move.
“Just let me sleep，” begged Kelly，who was out of consciousness.Rocky insisted，“Mom，you can’t go to sleep.”
Rocky managed to push Kelly out of the truck and told her he’d climb up to the road and stop a car to get help.Fearing that no one would be able to see her little boy in the dark，Kelly refused to let him go alone.Instead they slowly moved up to the road.The pain was so great that Kelly wanted to give up，but Rocky wouldn’t let her.
Rocky kept repeating the inspirational phrase，“I know you can，I know you can.”When they finally reached the road，Rocky broke into tears seeing his mother’s torn face clearly for the first time.Waving his arms and shouting, “Please stop！” the boy stopped a truck.His mother was sent to hospital.
It took 8 hours to rebuild Kelly’s face.She looks quite different today—“I used to have a straight long nose，thin lips and high cheekbones；now I’ve got a flat cheeks and much bigger lips”—but she has few scars and has recovered from her injuries.
Rocky’s heroics were big news.Everyone was surprised at this little boy’s power.“It’s not like I wanted it to happen，” the boy explained.“I just did what anyone would have done.” “If it weren’t for Rocky，I’d have died，” said his mother.
【小題1】According to the text，Rocky and Kelly ________.

A．were lost on a country road

B．were involved in a truck accident

C．had limited time to find their way

D．knew little of what happened to them

【小題2】When he woke up，Rocky ________.

A．found the truck was turned over

B．found his mother had fallen asleep

C．was stuck against the door of the truck

D．was frightened by his mother’s blood

【小題3】The underlined word “yank” in Paragraph 3 most probably means “________”．

A．pull	B．drive
C．follow	D．carry

【小題4】What is the best title for the text?

A．A Boy and His Mother

B．How to Behave Well?

C．Nothing Is Lost

D．I Think You Can

One day in 1965，when I worked at View Ridge School in Seattle，a fourth­grade teacher approached me.She had a student who finished his work before all the others and needed a challenge.“Could he help in the library？” she asked.I said, “Send him along.”
Soon a slight，sandy­haired boy in jeans and a T­shirt appeared.“Do you have a job for me？” he asked.
I told him about the Dewey Decimal System(杜威十進分類法) for shelving books.He picked up the idea immediately.Then I showed him a stack(摞) of cards for long­overdue books that I was beginning to think had actually been returned but were misshelved with the wrong cards in them.He said，“Is it kind of a detective job？” I answered yes，and he became working.
He had found three books with wrong cards by the time his teacher opened the door and announced，“Time for break！”He argued for finishing the finding job；she made the case for fresh air.She won.
The next morning，he arrived early.“I want to finish these books，”he said.At the end of the day，when he asked to be a librarian on a regular basis，it was easy to say yes.He worked untiringly.
After a few weeks I found a note on my desk，inviting me to dinner at the boy’s home.At the end of a pleasant evening，his mother announced that the family would be moving to a neighbouring school district.Her son’s first concern，she said，was leaving the View Ridge library.“Who will find the lost books？” he asked.
When the time came，I said an unwilling good­bye.I missed him，but not for long.A few days later he came back and joyfully announced，“The librarian over there doesn’t let boys work in the library.My mother got me transferred back to View Ridge.My dad will drop me off on his way to work.And if he can’t，I’ll walk！”
I should have had an idea such focused determination would take that young man wherever he wanted to go.What I could not have guessed，however，was that he would become a genius of the Information Age：Bill Gates，tycoon(企業(yè)巨頭) of Microsoft and America’s richest man.
【小題1】What was the author when the story happened?

A．A teacher.	B．A librarian.
C．A detective.	D．A student.

【小題2】Why was the boy sent to the library by the fourth­grade teacher?

A．He failed to finish his work on time.

B．He challenged the teacher in the class.

C．He disturbed all the other students in the class.

D．He needed something to do to challenge himself.

【小題3】What was the boy told to do on his first day in the library?

A．To rearrange the books according to the new system.

B．To put those overdue books back to the shelves.

C．To find out the books with wrong cards in them.

D．To put the cards back in the long­overdue books.

【小題4】The boy got transferred back to View Ridge because ________.

A．he didn’t get along well with the librarian in the new school

B．he was not allowed to work in the new school’s library

C．he missed his old schoolmates and teachers

D．he had to walk a long way to go to school

Peanuts to This
Proudly reading my words，I glanced around the room，only to find my classmates bearing big smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes.Confused，I glanced toward my stone­faced teacher.Having no choice，I slowly raised the report I had slaved over，hoping to hide myself.“What could be causing everyone to act this way？”
Quickly，I flashed back to the day Miss Lancelot gave me the task.This was the first real task I received in my new school.It seemed simple：go on the Internet and find information about a man named George Washington.Since my idea of history came from an ancient teacher in my home country，I had never heard of that name before.As I searched the name of this fellow，it became evident that there were two people bearing the same name who looked completely different！One invented hundreds of uses for peanuts，while the other led some sort of army across America.I stared at the screen，wondering which one my teacher meant.I called my grandfather for a golden piece of advice：flip(擲) a coin.Heads—the commander，and tails—the peanut guy.Ah！Tails，my report would be about the great man who invented peanut butter，George Washington Carver.
Weeks later，standing before this unfriendly mass，I was totally lost.Oh well，I lowered the paper and sat down at my desk，burning to find out what I had done wrong.As a classmate began his report，it all became clear，“My report is on George Washington，the man who started the American Revolution.”The whole world became quiet！How could I know that she meant that George Washington?
Obviously，my grade was awful.Heartbroken but fearless，I decided to turn this around.I talked to Miss Lancelot，but she insisted：No re­dos；no new grade.I felt that the punishment was not justified，and I believed I deserved a second chance.Consequently，I threw myself heartily into my work for the rest of the school year.Ten months later，that chance unfolded as I found myself sitting in the headmaster’s office with my grandfather，now having an entirely different conversation.I smiled and flashed back to the embarrassing moment at the beginning of the year as the headmaster informed me of my option to skip the sixth grade.Justice is sweet！      (2012·北京，B)
【小題1】What did the author’s classmates think about his report?

A．Controversial.	B．Ridiculous.
C．Boring.	D．Puzzling.

【小題2】Why was the author confused about the task?

A．He was unfamiliar with American history.

B．He followed the advice and flipped a coin.

C．He forgot his teacher’s instruction.

D．He was new at the school.

【小題3】The underlined word “burning” in Para.3 probably means “________”．

A．a(chǎn)nnoyed	B．a(chǎn)shamed
C．ready	D．eager

【小題4】In the end，the author turned things around ________.

A．by redoing his task

B．through his own efforts

C．with the help of his grandfather

D．under the guidance of his headmaster

About a year ago，if you had asked who Dinara Safina was，the answer would have been，“She is Marat Safin’s younger sister.” She was overshadowed by her wonder brother.But now she has made a name for herself：the world No.1 player in women’s tennis.
The 22­year­old Russian overtook Serena Williams of the US for top ranking on April 20.“Before，every place I go，I am Marat’s sister.Nothing else，”she told New York Times.“I always wanted to be myself，and now finally the results come，and people can know me as Dinara Safina.”
Safina has made it to two great event finals，in the 2008 French and in the 2009 Australian Open，and won a silver medal in the Beijing Olympic Games.
Clearly，family isn’t the only connection Safina and her brother share.Their DNA burns with competitive fire.Safin has held the distinction for years of being a hottempered player on court.When he lost his temper，he would smash a racket (球拍)．Safina is as emotionally explosive as her brother.A headline in the newspaper The Australian once described her as “mad as a snake”．The Sydney Morning Herald，during the Australian Open，summed up Safina’s volatile (不穩(wěn)定的) emotional state with the headline—Safina goes from basket case to top of the world.
It’s not rare for a family to have two top tennis players.Safina’s father owns a tennis academy and her mother worked as a coach.“I had no choice but to become a tennis player，but I don’t mind being a tennis player，” Safina said.
From this talented family she is also given one of her best weapons on court，her size.She is 1.82 meters tall and weighs 70kg.But it is hard work that led her to her recent success.
“I hope to prove to everyone over the coming months that I deserve the honor of being world No.1，”she said.
【小題1】What is the passage mainly about?

A．How Safina came first in women’s tennis.

B．How the parents taught Safina to play tennis.

C．How her brother helped Safina play tennis.

D．How Safina beat her brother in playing tennis.

【小題2】Which one of the following doesn’t contribute to Safina’s success?

A．Her hard work and strong competitiveness.

B．Her emotional explosion and volatile emotional state.

C．The fact that she is 1.82 meters tall and weighs 70kg.

D．The fact that her parents are both good tennis players.

【小題3】Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．Serena Williams was topped by Safina on ranking list on April 20.

B．Dinara Safina was always very confident and eager to succeed.

C．Safina was eager to become a tennis player when she was a child.

D．Marat Safin won the two finals，in the 2008 French and in the 2009 Australian Open.

【小題4】What can we infer from the headline “Safina goes from basket case to top of the world”？

A．Safina wanted to top the world in tennis when she was a baby in a basket.

B．After she won the Australian Open，Dinara Safina cried.

C．Too nervous at first，Safina finally gained confidence and won.

D．Safina learnt from the basket case and finally came top of the world.

Just two years before her 100^th birthday, Sensei Keiko Fukuda has become the first woman to achieve a tenth-degree black belt --- the highest rank in the martial art and combat sport judo(柔道). Fukuda is now one of only four living people who’ve earned the tenth-degree (or dan) black belt. Throughout history, only sixteen people have ever achieved this honor.
Fukuda began practicing judo in 1935 and is the only surviving student of its founder, Kano Jiguro. Urged by her teacher, she learned English to help spread judo internationally.
During a time when getting married, building a family, and becoming a housewife was the standard, Fukuda went against tradition, opting out of marriage to pursue the martial art.
“All I did was judo ... this was my marriage,” Fukuda reflected tearfully to the San Francisco Chronicle. “This is when my life destiny was set. I just never imagined how long this road would be.”
She described the Jiguro’s school, known as the Kodokan, as “old-fashioned and sexist(性別歧視的) about belts and ranks”. In fact, an order that prevented women from achieving any higher than a fifth-degree black belt kept Fukuda at that level for thirty years. She was finally promoted to sixth dan in 1972 when a woman’s division was created.
Fukuda said she approached judo and her life with the intention to “be gentle, kind and beautiful, yet firm and strong, both mentally and physically”. Fukuda said this kind of beauty is decidedly not external (外部的). “ A kind soul is inner beauty,” she explained to the paper. “I believe this is true beauty … All my life this has been my dream.”
Dream realized, the 98-year-old Sensei Keiko Fukuda continues to teach judo three times a week at a woman’s judo.
【小題1】It can be learned from the passage that ____________.

A．Fukuda achieved the tenth-degree black belt at 97.

B．four people earned the tenth-degree black belt in history.

C．nearly all of Kano Jiguro’s students were dead.

D．the Kodokan was founded in 1935.

【小題2】The underlined part “opting out of” in the 3^rd paragraph is closest in meaning to _________.

A．choosing or welcoming	B．longing for or desiring
C．keeping out of or avoiding	D．missing or having no chance of

【小題3】Why did Fukuda remain at fifth-degree black belt for so long a time?

A．It was hard for her to improve her level.

B．She suffered from a foolish rule.

C．Her family life took up too much of her time.

D．She didn’t want to improve her level.

【小題4】Which of the following is the main idea of the passage?

A．The only surviving student of Kano Jiguro remains single.

B．The tenth-degree black belt is the highest rank in judo.

C．Sensei Keiko Fukuda spreads judo throughout the world.

D．98-year-old woman becomes the first woman ever to earn judo’s highest-degree black belt.

I’ve often wondered if I might do more good as a travel agent rather than as a psychologist. It seems that I have been more dramatically affected by certain kinds of travel experiences than I ever have.
My trip to Iceland is a fine example of that. The plan was to spend two days in a remote mountain hut in Iceland. I was working on a photographic book about winter in Iceland and needed to capture images of this amazing region of high mountain peaks, smoky volcanoes, and lakes with floating icebergs.
The moment after we arrived, the weather turned extreme making visibility impossible. It snowed so much and the wind blew so hard that we couldn’t leave the tiny hut. To stay warm, we walked around in circles much of the day inside the tiny hut. We tried to call for help but the radio did not work. Day after day, we watched our supplies of food and fuel grow dangerously short. We got acute cabin fever (幽居病) and started going for walks and ski expeditions outside. Even when the weather finally broke, nobody came to get us even though it was three days beyond our scheduled pickup. By the time the rescue team came to pull us out, we had all given up hope.
From then on, the world looks different to me, as does my life. It would have taken me years of psychotherapy to get to the same point.
Almost everyone has a story to tell, and interestingly, most of these experiences were not altogether pleasant at the time. In fact, it appears that the most constructive life-changing journeys were those that involved some sorts of awful and uncomfortable events that forced the person to develop new resources, increase confidence, and solve problems in new ways.
【小題1】The writer went to Iceland to ______.

A．enjoy the natural beautiful floating icebergs

B．take photos about the region for a book

C．collect materials for psychological research

D．challenge the high mountains there

【小題2】During the trip in Iceland, those travelers faced difficulties EXCEPT that ______.

A．they got lost in the mountain

B．they were short of food and fuel

C．they couldn’t see the surroundings clearly

D．they failed to get in touch with the rescue team

【小題3】From Paragraph 3, we learn that the travelers ______.

A．were in despair before they were rescued

B．stayed in the hut for three days altogether

C．got sick because of going for ski outside

D．got rescued immediately the weather turned fine

【小題4】Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A．The writer is a travel agent who loves difficult challenges.

B．In Iceland the weather is always extreme and it snows a lot.

C．The travellers were so depressed that they needed psychotherapy.

D．Awful journeys may become life-changing events that inspire people.

The sun had gone behind a cloud. I was very tired and wanted nothing in the world so much as to be at home. At last I got to the gate of Hide Park. But this was worse than ever; there were buses there—high and terribly red cars, taxis and still more buses in an endless line. Everywhere there were people hurrying past or waiting to get into the buses, while I stood lost in the middle of them.
I was ready to cry. In despair, I crossed the street on to an “island”, where I found a policeman. I took my last bit of courage in both hands and said, “Please, sir, where is Addison Road?” He began to explain, but when he saw that I couldn’t understand he became helpless, too. “Are you French at school?” A few minutes later, he smiled and raised his hand. How wonderful! The traffic stopped. Even the red buses stood still and waited until I had crossed the road.
【小題1】That        is the most probable reason why she was tired out.

A．it had been very hot by then

B．the writer had been standing lost for a long time

C．the writer had been completely lost

D．the writer had been wandering in the park for a long time

【小題2】Because the writer was made so worn out,          .

A．she wanted nothing on earth but her home

B．she thought it perfect to stay at home

C．she would never leave her home at all

D．she didn't get to the park on time.

【小題3】In this passage “island” means           .

A．a(chǎn) piece of land surrounded by water

B．a(chǎn) raised place in a busy street where people may be safe from traffic

C．a(chǎn) safe place that can only be used by policemen

D．a(chǎn) safe place that nobody can use without permission

【小題4】Why did the traffic stop? Because            .

A．a(chǎn)ll the drivers could understand French

B．perhaps a certain driver had broken the traffic rules

C．a(chǎn)ll the drivers knew the policeman very well

D．the policeman was directing the traffic

【小題5】In which country do you think the story happened?

A．Switzerland.

B．France.

C．England.

D．A certain non-English speaking country.

An 80-year-old man was sitting on the sofa in his house along with his 45-year-old highly educated son.
Suddenly a crow（烏鴉）perched on the tree near their window.
The father asked his son, “What is this? ”
The son replied, “It is a crow.”
After a few minutes, the father asked his son the 2^nd time, “What is this?”
The son said, “Father, I have just now told you It’s a crow’. ”
After a little while, the old father again asked his son the 3^rd time, “What is this? ”  
“It’s a crow, a crow, a crow.” said the son loudly.
A little after, the father again asked his son the 4^th time, “What is this?”
This time the son shouted at his father, “Why do you keep asking me the same question again and again? ‘IT IS A CROW’. Are you not able to understand this?”
A little later the father went to his room and came back with an old diary, which he had kept since his son was born. On opening a page, he asked his son to read that page. When the son read it, the following words were written in the diary:
“Today my little son aged three was sitting with me on the sofa when a crow was sitting on the window. My son asked me 23 times what it was, and I replied to him all 23 times that it was a crow. I hugged him lovingly each time he asked me the same question again and again for 23 times. I did not at all feel annoyed; I rather felt affection for my innocent child. ”
【小題1】 In what tone did the son say to his Father “It’s a crow, a crow, a crow. ”?

A．impatient

B．excited

C．hurried

D．surprised

【小題2】Why did the Father ask the same question again and again?

A．Because he wanted to make his son angry.

B．Because he was too old to remember anything.

C．Because he couldn't understand what his son said.

D．Because he wanted to see how patient his son would be.

【小題3】How old was the old man when his son asked him 23 times “What is this”?

A．35 years old.

B．38 years old.

C．45 years old.

D．80 years old.

【小題4】What is the most suitable title for the passage?

A．A crow.

B．Father's love.

C．An old dairy.

D．An old man.

Ashok Gadgil has spent the past three decades helping people in need—and he has no plans to stop .On May 2, Gadgil won the$100．000 Lemelson-MIT Award for Global Innovation. Each year，the honor is given to an inventor who has improved the lives of people in developing countries. Gadgil‘s inventions have helped more than 100 million people around the world.
Gadgil is a professor and physicist at the University of California. When he’s not teaching，he works to find solutions to global problems such as energy efficiency and water safety. “I chose to focus on problems where my knowledge of science could help，”he said
In the 1980s he came up with a program to make energy-efficient light bulbs more affordable for people in developing countries. Then in the 1990s，Gadgil designed his first life—saving invention，UV Waterworks .The device kills deadly disease —carrying germs(病菌)from drinking water. It costs just one cent to clean five liters of water .Gadgil was inspired to find an inexpensive solution to the clean water crisis after more than 10，000 people in his home country of India died from an outbreak of Bengal cholera，in 1993 The disease is spread through contaminated food and drinking water .So far，the invention has provided safe drinking water to more than five million people in poor areas.
As a professor，Gadgil encourages his students to stay positive about finding solutions to hard problems.“Be optimistic when you try a hard problem．”he says. “It’s when you solve a large problem that you can have a big impact on the world”
【小題1】Gadgil was given Lemelson-MIT Award for___________.

A．his teaching experience	B．his new physical research
C．his vast knowledge	D．his helpful inventions

【小題2】What call we learn about UV Waterworks?

A．It's Gadgil’s first invention	B．It’s used to clean water．
C．it was designed for his home country	D．It saved 10，000 people in total

【小題3】The underlined word “contamninated”in Paragraph 3 means__________.

A．wasted

B．consumed

C．polluted

D．canned

【小題4】According to the last paragraph，Gadgil encourages his students__________.

A．to learn lessons from failures

B．to find problems in peaceful life

C．to make inventions to help poor people

D．to be confident when facing difficulties

【小題5】Which of the following can best describe Gadgil?

A．Caring and optimistic.	B．Independent and positive.
C．Powerful and strict.	D．Responsible and sensitive.