PART THREE READING COMPREHENSION
Directions: Read the following three passages．Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements．For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D．Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage.
Short reader-submitted stories -- for the woman you should think of today!
Compiled by Amy Zerello
Great Minds Reminded of Mom
After a long, exhausting day, a friend of mine, Allen, headed home．On the road, he passed an elderly woman who was standing by a car with a flat tire．If that were 
his mother, he thought, he would want someone to help her．With a tired sigh, he turned around and drove back．
Just as he reached the poor woman, a truck pulled up and a burly man got out．"Kind of reminds you of your mom, too?" the man asked as the two of them pitched in together to change the tire for her．
Contributed by Katherine L．Houge
Your Biggest Fan
While waiting in a bookstore for a guest author to sign her latest book, I leafed through some of the Civil War novels she had written．The woman in line behind me commented, "Those are the best books I've ever read．I couldn't put them down."
Before I could reply, the author, frowning, looked over and said, "Oh come on, Mom!"
-- Contributed by Marilyn Kopp
Head of the Household
My husband, Jeff, and I came across several problems while assembling our new computer system, so we called the help desk．The man on the phone started to talk to Jeff in computer jargon(行业术语), which confused us even more．
"Sir," my husband politely said, "please explain what I should do as if I were a four-year-old."
"Okay," the computer technician replied．"Sweetie, could you please put your mommy on the phone?"
-- Contributed by Lena Worth
How does it feel to tickle your mom’s funny bone?
Now send your own funny story to us! You could earn up to $300!
56．Who w
ould the burly man be in the first joke?
A．Another kind helper. B．The old lady’s son.
C．Allen’s friend. D．A policeman.
57．What was the guest author’s mom trying to do in the second story?
A．Push hard to get her daughter’s signature．
B．Promote her daughter’s books by pretending to be a fan.
C．Show her pride in her daughter’s achievement.
D．Persuade Marilyn Kopp to buy her daughter’s book.
58．The computer technician on the phone in the third story ________.
A．actually could find no way to solve Jeff’s problems
B．teased Jeff about his poor knowledge of computer jargon
C．wanted to talk to Lena instead
D．believed that Jeff’s mom would know more computer jargon
59．What is the main purpose of the jokes?
A．To make fun of moms. B．To honor moms.
C．To educate moms. D．To amuse moms．
60．The passage is most possibly found ________.
A．in a storybook B．in a commercial ad
C．in a magazine D．in a student’s text book
Brooke Martin’s golden retriever(金毛猎犬) Kayla hated being left alone or separated. She would howl, pace, and chew on things. Brooke learned that other people had the same problem with their pets. She wondered: ―What if you could talk to your dog if you were gone?
Working with her father in their garage, the 16-year-old came up with several ideas. Finally, she invented a device that allowed pet owners to video chat with their pets! She calls the device iCPooch. ―The dog doesn’t have to answer the call,explains Brooke. ―It comes up immediately on the screen on their end. It’s a two-way audio and video—you can see and hear each other.With a click of a button you can even send the dog a treat!
Her invention has earned her a spot competing against nine other finalists in a young scientist competition for middle-school students. These finalists, selected based on their short video presentations, are working with mentors over the summer before heading to the final competition in St. Paul, Minn.
After Martin’s video put her among the 10 finalists in the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge, she was paired with Delony Langer-Anderson, a product development scientist in 3M’s consumer health care division. ―I just lead her down the product development path,Langer-Anderson told Live Science. This path includes guidance on how to test the potential product, which combines a video chat device that answers immediately on the dog’s end with a dog treat device the owner can remotely activate.
One thing I have thought about a lot is, what happens if while the device is on the floor, what if your dog knocks it over, or scratches the screen? Martin said. She and Langer-Anderson discussed this, and Martin is now testing materials at a local dog shelter by taping them to the dog house floors to see how well they withstand sharp teeth and claws.
The finalists create models they can test, with the guidance from a mentor. Their projects include a fuel cell that transforms cut grass into electricity and an app that rewards drivers for not texting or calling. Langer-Anderson tries to help the students work through the scientific method, testing their hypothesis, in a determined way, ―so the kids don’t get buried in data.she said.Which of the following would be the best title of the text?
| A．“iCPooch” wins in a young scientist competition. |
| B．A 16-year-old girl invents a device for dog hunger. |
| C．A man-made device lets people chat with their pets. |
| D．A kid-invented device calm dogs’ separation anxiety. |
“iCPooch”calms pet dogs by ________.
| A．allowing video chat |
| B．making dogs sleep |
| C．answering the call |
| D．giving them food |
What is the probable meaning of the underlined word“mentor”
| A．competitor | B．assistant | C．instructor | D．companion |
What do the inventions of the finalists have in common?
| A．They are all new inventions dealing with pets. |
| B．They are possible solutions to everyday problems. |
| C．They cope with the problems related to computers. |
| D．They are all accomplished through individual work. |
Oxford’s Department for Continuing Education runs over 1000 courses per year, offered on a part-time basis. Programmes include Oxford awards and degrees at undergraduate and postgraduate level, online short courses, weekly classes, day and weekend events, continuing professional development and summer schools.
Oxford awards & degrees
Over 50 undergraduate and postgraduate Oxford qualifications: certificates, diplomas, advanced diplomas, Master’s and Doctoral degrees, offered part-time, in the arts, social sciences, diplomatic studies, human rights law, health care and biomedical sciences, which involve overseas students. Course duration ranges from one year to several years part-time. The Department also runs a Graduate School to provide the support and guidance needed by those following part-time graduate programmes.
www.conted.ox.ac.uk/qualifications
Online & distance learning
Choose from over 90 courses across a range of disciplines. Most are short courses of 5-10 weeks, accredited (officially approved). A few longer courses result in Oxford qualifications.
www.conted.ox.ac.uk/online
Weekly classes
Approximately 500 part-time accredited classes, open to all, and held in Oxford, Reading and other locations. Topics are studied in depth over a period of 10 or 20 weeks.
www.conted.ox.ac.uk/weekly
Day & weekend events
Courses of 1 or 2 days, usually held at weekends and taught by lecturers and speakers who are noted authorities in their field of research. Many courses are offered in combination with national organizations. Over 150 offered per year.
www.conted.ox.ac.uk/dayweekend
Professional development courses
200 courses per year, ranging from day schools to short refresher courses to full degree programmes. Subjects include health sciences, public policy, diplomatic studies, nanotechnology, electronics, historic conservation, environmental sciences, public administration, higher education leadership and more.
www.conted.ox.ac.uk/cpd
Summer schools
Accredited and non-accredited courses of between one and three weeks, with over 120 to choose from. Most are designed for the general public; others are designed to allow professionals to update skills. www.conted.ox.ac.uk/summerschoolsWhat type of writing is this text?
| A．A course guide. |
| B．A book review. |
| C．An advertisement. |
| D．An official report. |
Which programme will you choose if you want to learn from the famous top experts in your field?
| A．Summer schools |
| B．Online&distance learning. |
| C．Day&weekend events. |
| D．Professional development courses. |
Which website is useful to foreign students?
| A．www.conted.ox.ac.uk/cpd |
| B．www.conted.ox.ac.uk/qualifications |
| C．www.conted.ox.ac.uk/dayweekend |
| D．www.conted.ox.ac.uk/summerschools |
There was a little boy visiting his grandparents on their farm. He was given a slingshot（弹弓）to play with out in the woods. He practiced in the woods, but he could never hit the target. Getting a little discouraged, he headed back for dinner. As he was walking back he saw Grandma's pet duck.
Just out of impulse(冲动),he let the slingshot fly, hit the duck in the head and killed it. He was shocked! In a panic, he hid the dead duck in the wood, only to see his sister watching! Sally had seen it all, but she said nothing.
After lunch the next day Grandma said, "Sally, let's wash the dishes". But Sally said, "Grandma, Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen. "Then she whispered to him, "Remember the duck?" So Johnny did the dishes. Every time Grandma asked Sally to do some housework, she will repeat the same story. After several days of Johnny doing both his work and Sally's, he finally couldn't stand it any longer. He came to Grandma and confessed that he had killed the duck.
Grandma gave him a hug and said, "Sweetheart, I know. You see, I was standing at the window and I saw the whole thing, but because I love you, I forgave you. I was just wondering how long you would let Sally make a slave of you. "
In our daily life, whatever we do, God is always standing at the window and he sees the whole thing. He's just wondering how long you will let the devil make a slave of you. The great thing about God is that when you ask for forgiveness, he not only forgives you, but also he forgets.Johnny felt discouraged in the first paragraph because____.
| A．he didn't like his grandma |
| B．he couldn't hit the target with the slingshot |
| C．he was given a bad slingshot |
| D．he killed the pet of his grandma |
What did Sally mean by saying "Remember the duck" in Para 3?
| A．She missed the duck very much. |
| B．She reminded his brother of his slingshot. |
| C．She wanted to force her brother do something for her. |
| D．She didn't dare to say the secret to her grandma herself. |
The underlined word "confessed" in the third paragraph means "_______"
| A．remarked | B．promised |
| C．admitted | D．refused |
From the story we can learn that ______.
| A．everyone has to forget the sad thing |
| B．grandparents won't be frightened by children's mistakes |
| C．those who often lie to others will become the devil |
| D．one should be brave to admit his mistakes |
Are you sometimes a little tired and sleepy in the early afternoon? Many people feel this way after lunch. They may think that eating lunch is the cause of the sleepiness. Or, in summer, they may think it is the heat. However, the real reason lies inside their bodies. At that time – about eight hours after you wake up – your body temperature goes down. This is what makes you slow down and feel sleepy. Scientists have tested sleep habits in experiments where there was no night or day. The people in these experiments almost always followed a similar sleeping pattern. They slept for one long period and then for one short period about eight hours later.
In many parts of the world, people take naps(小睡) in the middle of the day. This is especially true in warmer climates(气候), where the heat makes work difficult in the early afternoon. Researchers are now saying that naps are good for everyone in any climate. A daily nap gives one a more rested body and mind and therefore is good for health in general. In countries where naps are traditional, people often suffer less from problems such as heart disease.
Many working people, unfortunately, have no time to take naps. Though doctors may advise taking naps, employers do not allow it! If you do have the chance, however, here are a few tips about making the most of your nap. Remember that the best time to take a nap is about eight hours after you get up. A short sleep too late in the day may only make you feel more tired and sleepy afterward. This can also happen if you sleep for too long. If you do not have enough time, try a short nap – even ten minutes of sleep can be helpful.Why do people feel sleepy in the early afternoon according to the text?
| A．They eat too much for lunch. |
| B．They sleep too little at night. |
| C．Their body temperature becomes lower. |
| D．The weather becomes a lot warmer. |
If you get up at 6:30 am, what is the best time for you to take a nap?
| A．About 12:30 pm. | B．About 1:30 pm. |
| C．About 2:30 pm | D．About 3:30 pm |
What would be the best title for the text?
| A．Taking a Rest |
| B．Taking a Nap |
| C．A Special Sleep Pattern. |
| D．Taking Naps in Warmer Climate. |
Many countries follow special customs when a child’s baby teeth fall out. Many of these customs tell stories about animals taking the teeth.
For example, Koreans have the custom of throwing the fallen tooth onto the roof of a house so that a magpie (喜鹊) can take the tooth away and bring a new tooth for the child. This custom is also followed by some other Asian countries, such as Japan and Vietnam.
Other countries, though, have tooth customs about other animals. In Mexico and Spain, for example, it is thought that a mouse takes a fallen tooth away and leaves some money. But in Mongolia, it is dogs that take children’s teeth away. Dogs are highly respected in Mongolian culture. It is believed that the new tooth will grow strong if the baby tooth is fed to a dog, so parents in Mongolia will put their children’s fallen teeth in a piece of meat and feed it to a dog.
In France and the USA, a child will put a fallen tooth under his or her pillow before going to bed. It is thought that in the early morning, when the child is still sleeping, the Tooth Fairy will take the tooth away and leave something else under the pillow. What she will leave is hard to know. It is said that in France the Tooth Fairy may leave some candies; however, in the United States, she may leave money.Koreans throw a tooth onto the roof of a house in order to __________.
| A．get money | B．feed magpies |
| C．get candies | D．get a new tooth |
In Vietnam, if a child’s tooth falls out, he or she will __________.
| A．throw it onto the roof of a house |
| B．feed it to a mouse |
| C．put it in a piece of meat and feed the meat to a dog |
| D．leave it to the Tooth Fairy |
From the last paragraph, we can know that in France and the USA _________.
| A．a child will put his or her fallen tooth beside the pillow |
| B．the Tooth Fairy takes the fallen teeth away at midnight |
| C．the Tooth Fairy will leave some candies to the children after taking the fallen teeth away |
| D．no one knows for sure what the Tooth Fairy will leave to the children after taking the fallen teeth away |
The passage is mainly about ___________.
| A．customs about fallen teeth in western countries |
| B．customs about fallen teeth in different countries |
| C．stories about human teeth |
| D．stories about some animals |