B

   Two years ago we were at a turning point in our lives in New Zealand, so we decided to start an adventure. We gave up our jobs, said goodbye to friends and family, and went to live in Switzerland.

   Settling in the small town of Aadorf, we sent our daughters, who were 15 and 11 at the time, to the local school. They were the only English speakers in the school, and as they had no German or local Swiss dialect (方言), we knew their path would be hard. But after only a few months, the girls were doing really well, and making every effort to integrate (融合) into the Swiss way of life. As a result, the local newspaper ran a story about them.

   When the half-page article, complete with a photo, appeared in the newspaper, the girls were delighted. But what followed next still had us shaking our heads in astonishment.

   A teacher from the school showed the article to a friend, who sent the article to friends of his, a Swiss family who happened to be nearing the end of their 12-month stay in New Zealand. When they read how we missed feijoas—a fruit unknown in Switzerland—they looked out of the window at the huge feijoa tree weighed down with fruit. So they picked two kilograms of feijoas and brought them back with them to Switzerland—especially for us. They gave the fruit to their friend, who then drove two hours to secretly deliver the precious load to us.

   When we opened the front door later that day, a big bag of feijoas was sitting there. We had no idea how it got there. A note left inside the bag helped us start to uncover the mystery (謎). It was from the family, wishing us all the best and happy eating.

35. Why did the local newspaper carry a story about the girls?

   A. Because they had an exciting adventure.

   B. Because they tried hard to join in the local life.

   C. Because they became fluent speakers of local Swiss dialect.

   D. Because they were the only English speakers in the school.

36. What made the family shake their heads in astonishment?

   A. That the article was quickly passed on.

   B. That the article made the girls delighted.

   C. The expensive fruit secretly delivered to them.

   D. The hometown fruit unexpectedly found at their door.

37. It turned out that the bag of feijoas came from ________.

A. the author's friend

B. the teacher's friend

C. the teacher from the local school 

D. the Swiss family back from New Zealand

38. Which of the following would be the best title?

   A. Pleasure from a bag of fruit

   B. Kindness found in a bag of fruit

C. Curiosity about a bag of fruit

D. Satisfaction gained from a bag of fruit

 

                                   C

May Happenings from the Past

May 5, 1884

Issac Murphy, son of a slave and perhaps the greatest horse rider in American history, rides Buchanan to win his first Kentucky Derby. He becomes the first rider ever to win the race three times.

May 9, 1754

Benjamin Franklin’s Pennsylvania gazette produces perhaps the first American political cartoon (漫畫(huà)), showing a snake cut in pieces with the words “Join or Die” printed under the picture.

May 11, 1934

The first great dust storm of the Great Plains Dust Bowl, the result of years of drought (干旱), blows topsoil all the way to New York City and Washington, D.C.

May 19, 1994

Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, former first lady and one of the most famous people of the 1960s died of cancer in New York City at the age of 64.

May 24, 1844

Samuel F.B Morse taps out the first message, “What hath God wrought,” over the experimental long-distance telegraph line which runs from Washington, D.C. to Baltimore, Md.

39. We know from the text that Buchanan is _______.

A. Isaac’s father

B. a winning horse

C. a slave taking care of horses

D. the first racing horse in Kentucky

40. What is the title of the first American political cartoon?

A. Join or Die

B. Pennsylvania Gazette

C. What Hath God Wrought

D. Kentucky Derby

41. In which year did the former first lady Jacqueline die?

A. 1934

B. 1960

C. 1964

D. 1994

42. Which of the following places has something to do with the first telegram in history?

A. Washing to, D.C.

B. New York City

C. Kentucky

D. Pennsylvania

 

 

 

 

 

D

Monarch Butterflies

    One of the last West Coast homes of the Monarch butterfly, a type of insect（昆蟲(chóng)）, may soon disappear. Strangely, it is in a town that calls itself Butterfly USA, Pacific Grove, California.

   The town of Pacific Grove loves the butterflies. Every year they have a parade（游行）and hundreds of children dress up as butterflies. Monarch butterflies are the town mascot. Tourism is very important, and many people come to see the butterflies. The butterflies are good for the development of the town.

In 1981 there were so many butterflies it looked like it was raining butterflies. Tens of thousands of Monarchs stayed on tree branches near Pacific Grove. Now there are not so many. The building goes on a little bit at a time, and you don’t notice it day by day. Over time, you can see that there has been a lot of development. As new buildings go up, many trees are cut down. This reduces the natural homes for the butterflies.

Monarchs travel hundreds of miles each year，returning to the same woods, often to the same trees. The female Monarchs need milkweed to lay their eggs; the males will follow the females. Millions of Monarchs have traveled regularly along the same path for thousands of years. They start their trip in the mountains of Mexico and travel to the middle part of America. If the woods where the butterflies live are destroyed, the whole species（物種）could be lost. There have been Monarch butterflies along the coast of California for as long as man can remember, but no one is sure how much longer they will last.

43. Why are Monarch butterflies important to Pacific Grove?

A. They may disappear.             

B. They come to stay every year.

C. They help develop the town’s tourism.

D. They give a name to Pacific Grove.

44. The underlined word “mascot” in Paragraph 2 probably refers to_________.

A. a new type of butterfly            

B. an insect believed to bring good luck

C. a parade organized by Pacific Grove  

D. a special dress for children in Pacific Grove

45. What problem do Monarch butterflies face now?

   A. New buildings take up their living space.

   B. There has been too much rain in recent years.

   C. Their natural homes are destroyed by tourism.

   D. They have to travel a long distance to get home.

46. Where do Monarch butterflies start their trip to Pacific Grove?

A. From Central America.     

B. From the West Coast.

C. From California.          

D. From Mexico.