I was waiting for a phone call from my agent. He had left a message the night before, telling me that my show was to be cancelled(取消). I called him several times, but each time his secretary told me that he was in a meeting and that he would call me later. So I waited and waited, but there was still no call. Three hours passing by, I became more and more impatient. I was certain that my agent didn’t care about my work, and he didn’t care about me. I was overcome with that thought. I started to shout at the phone, “Let me wait, will you? Who do you think you are?”
At that time I didn’t realize my wife was looking on. Without showing her surprise, she rushed in, seized the phone, tore off the wires, and shouted at the ph
one, “Yeah! Who do you think you are? Bad telephone! Bad telephone! ” And she swept it into the wastebasket.
I stood watching her, speechless .What on earth…?
She stepped to the doorway and shouted at the rest of the house, “Now hear this! All objects in this room—if you do anything to upset my husband , out you go!”
Then she turned to me, kissed me, and said calmly, “Honey, you just have to 
learn how to take control.” With that, she left the room.
After watching a crazy woman rus
hing in and out, shouting at everything in sight, I noticed that something in my mood（情绪）had changed. I was laughing. How could I have trouble with that phone? Her antics helped me realize I had been driven crazy by small things. Twenty minutes later my agent did call. I was able to listen to him and talk to him calmly.Why did the author shout at the telephone?
| A．He was mad at the telephone. | B．He was angry with his agent. |
| C．He was anxious about his wife. | D．He was impatient with the secretary. |
What did the author’s wife do after she heard his shouting?
| A．She said nothing. | B．She shouted at him. |
| C．She called the agent. | D．She threw the phone away. |
What made the author laugh?
| A．His own behavior. | B．His wife’s suggestion. |
| C．His changeable feelings. | D．His wife’s sweet kiss. |
What does the underlined word “antics” refer to?
| A．Smart words. | B．Unusual actions. | C．Surprising looks. | D．Anxious feelings. |
Disease, poverty, hate, love－Charles Dickens’ stories opened his readers eyes to the most important themes of his age. Two hundred years on, his stories still speak volumes across the world, proving that Dickens’ legacy（遗产） was far greater that just “great-literature”. February 7 marks the 200th anniversary of the writer’s birthday. To mark this date, BBC writer Alex Hudson listed six things Dickens gave the modern world. Let’s take a look at two of them.
A White Christmas
Dickens is described as “the man who invented Christmas” － not the religious festival, but the cultural aspects that we associate with the festive season today. In the early 19th century, Christmas was barely worth mentioning, according to critic and writer Leigh Hunt. The committee which ran the Conservative Party even held ordinary business meetings on Christmas Day－unthinkable in the West nowadays, when everyone but the most necessary workers takes at least three days off. Many people believe that Dickens’ popular descriptions of the festive period became a blueprint for generations to come. In his classic novel, A Christmas Carol, he not only put forward the idea of snow at Christmas, but also painted a picture of glowing warmth－“home enjoyments, affections and hopes”. In his biography of Dickens, Peter Ackroyd wrote: “Dickens can be said to have almost single-handedly created the modern idea of Christmas.”
“Dickens” poverty
Dickens was one of the first to take an honest look at the underclass and the poor of Victorian London. He helped popularize the term “red tape” to describe situations where people in power use needless amounts of bureaucracy(官僚作风) in a way that particularly hurts the weaker and poorer members of society.
“Dickensian” has now become a powerful word for describing an unacceptable level of poverty. In 2009, when the president of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers in the UK wanted to talk about poverty in some areas of Britain, she did not use words like “terrible” or “horrific”, but rather described it as “life mirroring the times of Dickens”.The article is mainly about.
| A．a brief introduction to Charles Dickens’ |
| B．the characters in Charles Dickens’ stories |
| C．Charles Dickens’ impact（影响力) on the world |
| D．Charles Dickens’ achievements in literature |
Why is Dickens’ called “the man who invented Christmas”?
| A．Because he created both religious and culture festival. |
| B．Because one of his novels helped to shape Christmas celebrations. |
| C．Because his novels have something to do with Christmas. |
| D．Because he was the first man to have proposed celebrating Christmas. |
We can learn from the passage that.
| A．Charles Dickens’ novels reflect(反映) the true life at his age |
| B．Dickensian is widely used to describe the Christmas |
| C．Every person can take three days off for Christmas |
| D．The theme of Charles Dickens’ stories is about poverty |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．Dickens gave the modern world six things. |
| B．Dickens is still popular today in Britain. |
| C．Dickens invented Christmas |
| D．Agreements made by the underclass of society |
In the year after my mother left us, my father was 42 and he knew that he wasn’t going to make it to 43. He wrote a letter to me and hoped that something in it would help me for the rest of my life.
Since the day I was 12 and first read his letter, some of his words have lived in my heart. One part always stands out. “Right now, you are pretending to be a time killer. But I know that one day, you will do something great that will set you among the very best.” Knowing that my dad believed in me gave me permission to believe in myself. “You will do something great.” He didn’t know what I would be, and neither did I, but at times in my life when I’ve felt proud of myself, I remember his words and wish he were here so I could ask, “Is this what you were talking about , Dad ? Should I keep going?”
A long way from 12 now, I realize he would have been proud when I made any progress. Lately, though, I’ve come to believe he would want me to move on to what comes next: to be proud of , and believe in somebody else. It’s time to start writing my own letters to my children. Our children look to us with the same unanswered question we had. Our kids don’t hold back because they’re afraid to fail. They’re only afraid of failing us. They don’t worry about being disappointed. Their fear ---- as mine was until my father’s letter---- is of being a disappointment.
Give your children permission to succeed. They’re waiting for you to believe in them. I always knew my parents loved me. But trust me: That belief will be more complete , that love will be more real, and their belief in themselves will be greater if you write the words on their hearts ：“Don’t worry; you’ll do something great .”Not having that blessing from their parents may be the only thing holding them back.We learn from the text that the author__________.
| A．lost his father when he was young |
| B．worked hard before he read his father’s letter |
| C．asked his father’s permission to believe in himself |
| D．knew exactly what great thing his father wanted him to do |
What does the author tell us in the 3rd paragraph?
| A．Children need their parents’ letters. |
| B．Children are afraid to be disappointed. |
| C．His children’s fear of failure held them back. |
| D．His father’s letter removed his fear of failing his parents. |
Which of the following is true of the author?
| A．He got no access to success. |
| B．He wrote back to his father at 12. |
| C．He was sure his parents loved him. |
| D．He once asked his father about the letter. |
The main purpose of the text is to .
| A．describe children’s thinking |
| B．answer some questions children have |
| C．stress the importance of communication |
| D．advise parents to encourage their children |
There are four forms about medicine. Every must know how to use the medicine. Because it is very important. Never take any by mistake.
1）Take the medicine with water, followed by one tablet every eight hours as required. For further night-time and early morning, take two tablets at bedtime. Do not take more than six tablets in 24 hours. For Children six to twelve years old, go to your doctor for advice. Reduce dosage(剂量) if nervousness, restlessness or sleeplessness takes place.
2）Each pill of the medicine taken three times every day for fourteen years old. As usual, a pill 6:00 a. m. before breakfast, one before 11:00 and one before sleep. Not for children under six years old and old persons with heart attack.
3）The medicine for a person with a fever. Once two pills a day before sleep for adult. Not take the medicine without fever. Half for Children under 12 years old. Children with a high fever go to see a doctor.
4）The medicine taken three times a day. Once five pills for adult with a cold. Half of the pills for children 10 years old. Take the medicine before breakfast, lunch, supper or before sleep. Obviously a kind of medicine can’t be proper for____judging from the information.
| A．some old persons with heart attack |
| B．some old persons with a fever |
| C．children over twelve years old |
| D．neither adults nor heart attack |
When a person has a cold. he had better .
| A．have twice a day |
| B．have about more than fourteen pills a day |
| C．have four times a day |
| D．have nine pills a day |
How many kinds of medicine are used for the children six years old?
| A．All of them. | B．Three kinds of medicine. |
| C．Two kinds of medicine. | D．Almost not any medicine. |
“A very disruptive（扰乱型的）six-year old child kicked my legs and clawed at my hand.” said one teacher. “I broke up a fight but was kicked，” said another. Many people have heard stories like this. But the situation is more worrying still and it involves(涉及) parents.
Every child, regardless of(不管) the surroundings into which they are born，has the right to achieve their potential. And we recognize that, as a nation，it is a long way to achieve this goal. But rights come with responsibilities and what worries people is that we are in danger of ignoring the latter.
Far too many children are behaving badly at school，even to the point of being violent to teachers. This is terrible enough，but it is hard to be surprised since many children are just mirroring the behavior of their parents. Too many are starting school unable to hold a knife and fork, unused to eating at a table，and unable to use the toilet properly.
We are in danger of becoming a nation of families living separate lives under one roof. The bedroom, once a place to sleep，has become the living space for the young. Spending hours in front of computer screens, on social networking sites or being addicted to computer games, children and young people spend little time with their parents. Parents are unable to monitor just what their children are watching.
Schools cannot right the wrongs of society and teachers cannot become substitute (代替)parents. Both parties need to work together. Parents must be helped and given confidence to take back control. They are responsible for setting limits to their children’s behavior and sticking to those limits when things get tough(困难). They are responsible for setting a good example to their children and for devoting that most precious of resources---time---so that children come to school ready and willing to learn. In the opinion of the writer, what problem do people ignore?
| A．The school violence. |
| B．The pressure of students’ learning. |
| C．The right to achieve students’ potential. |
| D．the responsibilities of the students. |
The writer’s attitude to the behaviors of parents may be ________.
| A．dissatisfied | B．unconcerned | C．understanding | D．tolerant(容忍的) |
The underlined part in Para 4 may means__________.
| A．parents and children live in their separate rooms |
| B．parents care little about children’s life at home |
| C．children don’t live with their parents in the same room |
| D．children spent little time with their parents at home |
From the last paragraph, we can infer that______.
| A．schools can’t correct the wrongs that society does to teachers |
| B．teachers have no responsibility for playing the role of parents |
| C．parents should spend time with children making them ready to learn |
| D．students are responsible for making themselves known in society |
Death Valley is the lowest, hottest, driest area in North America. This California National Park has less than 5 cm of rainfall a year and temperature up to 53℃ in summer. That’s enough to keep Americans away during the hottest months from June to August. But it is the high temperature and terrible heat that draw their most crazy fans, the foreign tourists. From all over the world, they come to the valley floor in cars, carrying maps and water bottles, and fanning themselves with newspapers to keep cool.
About 1.3 million visitors enter the park each year, from June through August. 90% of them are foreigners. They go there to experience the summer heat that gives Death Valley its name. The average high in July is 53.2 ℃ and the low 30 ℃. For August, the average high is 52.2 ℃ and the low 29.4 ℃.
So what do Americans think of the foreign visitors who arrive for the heat, just when locals from the United States try to avoid it? Park manager Brenda Henson says, “ The foreigners want to experience the heat in Death Valley. We think it’s crazy.”
In fact, Death Valley is a series of salt flats (盐滩) 225 km long and 6 km to 26 km wide. Birds and animals are largely absent, and only the hardiest plants have some chance of existence in this extreme place.
One tourist from Paris concluded, “ We come to it because we can tell all our friends and family that we’ve been to the hottest place in the world.”The real attraction of Death Valley for foreigners is that _____.
| A．summer heat keeps Americans away |
| B．experiencing the heat in it is cool |
| C．it is a series of salt flats |
| D．it is a famous place in the world. |
What does the underlined word “ hardiest” in Paragraph 4 mean?
| A．Most difficult. | B．Most energetic. | C．Strongest. | D．Best. |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．The hottest time in Death Valley is from June to August. |
| B．Not all the visitors to Death Valley are foreigners. |
| C．The lowest temperature in Death Valley is 29.4 ℃. |
| D．Death Valley is made up of salt flats. |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Crazy Fans of Death Valley. |
| B．Importance of Death Valley. |
| C．Beauty of California National Park. |
| D．The Best Tourist Attraction in North America. |