When I was a child, I was shocked at the idea that my sisters could be my best friends. Now, I wouldn’t have it any other way. At the time, the idea of my tow sisters being my closest friends seemed strange to me. we fought all the time over toys, food, attention, what to watch on television-you name it, we quarreled about it at some point. How could my sisters be my best friends? They weren’t the same age as I. we all had our own friends in school.
My mother never let the three of us forget that sisters are lifelong friends. Her wish like most parents’ was to give us something that she never had. Growing up as an only child, she longed for siblings. When she gave birth to three daughters, the fulfillment of her dream had only just begun. She had given each of us a gift and she wanted to make sure we did not take that gift for granted. She would frequently tell us how lucky we were. But there were others, more subtle ways that she encouraged us to grow closer. She never showed favoritism to one daughter over the other-skating, shopping, swimming-so we developed common interests. And when we were teenagers, Mom always punished us equally, giving us yet another bonding(结合的)experience.
We didn’t always get along beautifully and fought just like any other siblings. But somewhere in between Mom’s lectures, the family vacations and the shared memories, we realized that our mother was right. Today I share things with my sisters that I do with no one else. My sister Cindy and I ran the New York City Marathon together, side by side, even holding hands when we crossed the finish lien. When my sister Karen got married, I was her maid of honor. Cindy and I traveled through Europe together and even shared an apartment for two years. The three of us trust each other with our greatest secrets.
It was twenty-three years ago that my mother first asked me who my two best friends were. Today she doesn’t have to. She already knows.
72. As a child, the author was shocked at her mother's idea because________
A. her sisters seemed strange to her
B. her sisters didn't like to be her friends
C. none of the girls had their own friends
D. she and her sisters shares little in common
73. The underline word "siblings" in the second paragraph means________
A. sisters B. parents C. daughters D. friends
74. How did the author's mother encourage her three daughters to grow closer?
A. She punished her daughter differently.
B. She showed equal love to her daughters.
C. She encouraged her daughters to do sports.
D. She often took her daughters to many places.
75.The best title of the passage could be _________.
A. The Greatest Gift B. Mother's Love
C. Growing Experiences D. Unforgettable Memories
In today's world, almost everyone knows that air pollution(污染)and water pollution are harmful to people's health. However, not all the persons know that noise is also a kind of pollution, and that is harmful to human health, too.
People who work and live under noisy conditions usually become deaf(聋). Today, however, scientists believe that 10 percent of workers in Britain are being deafened by the noise where they work. Many of the workers who print newspapers and books, and who weave(织)cloth become deaf. Quite a few people living near airports also become deaf. Recently it was discovered that many teenagers in America could hear no better than 65-year-old persons, for these young people like to listen to pop music and most of pop music is a kind of noise. Besides, noise produced by jet planes or machines will make people's life difficult and unpleasant, or even make people ill or even drive them mad.
It is said that a continuous noise of over 85 decibels(分贝)can cause deafness. Now the governments in many countries have made laws to control noise and make it less than 85 decibels.
In China, the government is trying to solve not only air and water pollution problems but also noise pollution problems. The text is mainly about_________.
A.air pollution | B.noise pollution |
C.water pollution | D.world pollution |
According to the text, a continuous noise of _______ decibels can make people deaf.
A.less than 85 | B.less than 65 |
C.more than 85 | D.about 65 |
10 percent of the workers in Britain are being deafened because_______________.
A.they are too busy to listen to others' talk |
B.they often listen to pop music |
C.they live near airports |
D.they are working in noisy places |
The government of China is trying to solve____________ .
A.air, water and noise pollution |
B.only air and water pollution |
C.only water pollution |
D.only air pollution |
A twenty-nine-year-old kindergarten teacher from Maryland was named National Teacher of the Year in 2006. On June first she would begin a year as a national and international spokeswoman for education.
Kimberly Oliver was the first National Teacher of the Year from her state. She taught five-year-old children at a public school in Maryland, near Washington, D.C. President Bush honored her and other top teachers at the White House.
Kimberly Oliver said she wanted people to understand that the first several years of a child’s life were the most important for learning. She said investing in children at a very young age would result in great gains later in school and in life. She called on parents to read to children from an early age so they would not fall behind in school. One of the activities at her school was an event called “ Books and Supprer Night ”. Families read together at the school and received free books to take home. Parents, children and teachers also ate dinner together.
Broad Acres Elementary School was in a poor area. Many of the parents were immigrants with limited English. Kimberly Oliver helped improve learning environment at her school. She received money to buy electronic learning systems, tape players and books in English and Spanish and sent them home with students. Parents said she had shown them how to help their children at home.
She was born and raised in Delaware. She held one degree in English and another in Elementary Education. Kimberly Oliver would follow in the footsteps of another teacher Jason Kamras from the Washington area as National Teacher of the Year. Jason Kamras, as honored for his work, teaching math to middle school students in the nation’s capital.
The National Teacher of the Year program began in 1952. A fourteen-member committee choose from among teachers honored as the best in their states. From the text we know that in the state of Maryland, __________.
A.no other teacher than Kimberly Oliver had been given the honor |
B.Kimberly Oliver had been teaching in a middle school for many years |
C.Kimberly opened her own school early in Washington in 1952 |
D.many other teachers were given the honor together with Oliver |
Oliver hoped that parents should __________.
A.spend more time playing with their children |
B.read to their children at an early age |
C.not give too much money to their children |
D.stay at school with their children more often |
Kimberly Oliver had been named National Teacher of the Year mostly because ___________.
A.she taught five-year old children at a public school |
B.the elementary school she taught in is in a poor area |
C.she was helpful ahd had many special and good ideas in teaching children |
D.she called on parents to read to children from an early age |
The National Teacher just before Oliver comes from __________.
A.Delaware | B.Maryland | C.New York | D.Washington |
In spite of the uncertainty of the economy, the movie industry has been stricken by a box-office outburst. Suddenly it seems as if everyone is going to the movies, with ticket sales this year up 17.5 percent, to $1.7 billion.
And it is not just because ticket prices are higher. Attendance has also jumped, by nearly 16 percent. If that pace continues through the year, it would amount to the biggest box-office increase in at least two decades.
Americans, for the moment, just want to hide in a very dark place. People want to forget their troubles, and they want to be with other people. Helping feed the outburst is the mix of movies, which have been more audience-friendly in recent months as the studios have tried to adjust after the discouraging sales of more serious films.
As she stood in line at the 18-screen Bridge theater complex here on Thursday to buy weekend tickets for “Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience,” Angel Hernandez was not thinking much about escaping reality. Instead, Ms. Hernandez, a Los Angeles parking lot attendant and mother of four young girls, was focused on one very specific reality: her wallet.
“Spending hundreds of dollars to take them to Disneyland is ridiculous right now,” she said. “For $60 and some candy money I can still be a good mom and give them a little fun.”
A lot of parents may have been thinking the same thing Friday, as “Jonas Brothers” sold out more than 800 theaters, and was expected to sell a powerful $25 million or more in tickets.
The film industry appears to have had a hand in its recent good luck. Over the last year or two, studios have released movies that are happier, scarier or just less
depressing than what came before. After poor results for a rush of serious dramas built around the Middle East, Hollywood got back to comedies.Which of the following is not a reason for the improvement of the movie industry?
A.A growing number of people are going to the cinema. |
B.People are richer with the development of economy. |
C.More comedies are made than serious films. |
D.People have to pay more to watch a movie. |
Ms. Hernandez purchased the movie tickets because ________.
A.she tried to escape reality | B.she was a crazy movie fan |
C.she was fond of Disneyland | D.she wanted to please her kids |
.According to the text, which of the following number is not used to describe the shooting up of the movie industry?
A.17.5% | B.$1.7 billion | C.$60 | D.$25 million |
The passage is developed mainly by ________.
A.presenting the effect and analyzing the causes |
B.following the order of time |
C.describing problems and drawing a conclusion |
D.making comparison of ideas |
The Andrew Romay Immigrant Support Program (ISP) at the International Center provides a welcoming place for immigrants where they can build the skills they need to fully participate in the professional and social life of their new country.
About the Program
The Andrew Romay Immigrant Support Program (ISP) at the International Center provides an integrated (综合的) set of educational, cultural, and professional activities at ICNY to help immigrants:
●improve their English
●develop the networks they need to achieve their goals and fully participate in American life
●find a welcoming "home away from home"
Participants have access to a wide-range of programming, including:
●more than 40 weekly classes in English language and American culture
●practical and career-skills workshops
●opportunities to explore New York City and the nearby area through trips and tours
ISP is particularly focused on helping newly arrived immigrants at a critical point in their lives.Recent arrivals in financial need receive one-year scholarships and low-cost meals.ISP is funded by Andrew Romay and a sum of money from the Open Society Institute.
If you are interested in applying for ISP, please fill out our online application or contact ISP Program Manager, Elaine Roberts at (212)255-9555 or at eroberts@intlcenter.org.
Resources for Current ISP Members
RECOMMENDED CLASSES
●Intermediate level:Introduction to Writing & Interviewing Skills on Wednesday, from 11 am-l2:l0pm.
●High Intermediate/Advanced: Tips for Success at Work and Beyond on Tuesday, from 2-3:25pm.
●Advanced: Career Skills Workshop on Wednesday, from 6-8pm. Sign-up required.
●For all levels: Interviewing Skills Workshop on Saturday, from 11 am. - 2 pm. Sign-up required.
UPCOMING EVENTS
To see a list of upcoming events, visit our News & Events page.
OTHER RESOURCES
If you would like helpful resources on topics such as ESOL, healthcare, housing, or finding a job, please visit our Member Resources page. The main purpose of ISP is to ____.
A.help new immigrants set up a home away from home |
B.equip new immigrants with the skills needed |
C.provide support for new immigrants in financial need |
D.help old immigrants at a critical point |
You can become a member of ISP by ____.
A.visiting News & Events page |
B.surfing Member Resources page |
C.contacting Andrew |
D.contacting Elaine |
Which class best suits Tracy, who hopes to improve her
interviewing skills but is busy on weekdays?
A.Intermediate level. | B.High Intermediate/Advanced. |
C.Advanced. | D.For all levels. |
Most people want to be successful, but never stop to think what it will really take to get there in their chosen field. If it means going back to college for 2 years of night school, could you do it ? If it means reading a book a week for about 6 months in order to really master a new skill ? If you aren’t prepared to do any of those things because they are outside of your comfort zone, then you can forget being succesful. I guarantee you will never reach your goals in life, unless your goals are to be ordinary.
The biggest killer by far is the dreaded “ comfort zone ” where most people live in their entire life. And the funny thing is that people just can’t wrap their heads around the fact that people who have reached some success get tons of time to just relax, but only because they’ve earned it ! If you haven’t built a successful business, or in some way built a career that allow you so much freee time, then you are stuck in the grinding world of nine-to-five jobs everyone else. So how comfortable is that ?
So what can you do about it ? Well, find a way to make something happen in your life--- build a business around your favourite hobby, write a book and publish it, or take a course in stock trading and become an expert at that, working on making enough money to retire. If you don’t take massive action that puts your way of your comfort zone, you will never be successful at much of anything. I promise--- and I don’t make many promises !
Finding real happiness in life can be a mystery for many. That’s why I wrote The Road to Happiness for those who want real success and happiness in life, including spirituality and all the gifts life has to offer.
Don’t wander aimlessly through life. Get focused on your goals, start helping others in need, and live life to the fullest ! Life is too short to be anything but happy. Visit my website and find what you’ve been missing. Sign up for my newsletter and get seven free ebooks, too ! Read hundreds of articles while you’re there in the article section, which is updated daily.This text must be taken from __________.
A.a radio program | B.a website |
C.a newspaper | D.a TV program |
If you want to be successful in life, what should you do first ?
A.We should think what it really takes to be successful in our chosen field. |
B.We should focus our full attention on the work in our chosen field. |
C.We should live out of the “ comfort zone ” all through our life. |
D.We should work together with other people to reach our goals in time. |
According to this text, why do some people have so much free time to relax ?
A.Because they have enough money to do so. |
B.Because they don’t want to be successful. |
C.Because they have already earned it through hard work. |
D.Because they only work nine to five every day. |
The writer thinks it necessary for you to __________ if you want to be successful.
A.do a lot of actual wotk | B.write a book and publish it |
C.take a course in stock trading | D.make enough money to retire |