So I’m driving the lovely and patient older daughter to work. At 7 a. m., she pushes the seat
warmer button as her new Honda zooms across L. A., the City of Padded Shoulders.
"Oh, look, I’m low on gas," she says.
First, we pick up her boss, then we pick up her other boss. They are all headed to Staples Center for some awards show. My daughter does something in public relations, I’m not sure what. But when this show comes along, she gets very busy.
"In the past two nights I’ve gotten, like, seven hours sleep," she notes, the implication being that I sleep all the time, which is pretty much true.
In Los Feliz, a dashboard light confirms that we are, indeed, low on fuel. This does not perturb my daughter.
"Don’t worry, we’ll get there," she says.
My daughter says nothing about getting back home, which is my job. I’ve just agreed to drop her off, so she can avoid traffic later. My task is simple, though now full of uncertainty.
I don’t know how I ended up dropping my daughter and her bosses off at 7 a.m. on a Sunday. I just know that J.D. Salinger may now be dead, but I still feel like Holden Caulfield -- at the mercy of too many yammering adults.
Now, I’ve had mixed luck with adults. Apparently, my daughter’s job in PR is to keep everyone happy while telling the truth as much as possible. I sent her to college to study that. Now she is an expert.
"After you drop us off, you can get gas," my daughter assures me.
I have been her chauffeur for 26 years. By the time she was 3, I’d snapped her into a car seat some 14,000 times. I took her to seventh-grade dances, ski trips, college.
Even after all that, we continue to have a civil relationship, sort of a queen-mum-and-her-
driver sort of dynamic. When I screw up, she just raises her pretty chin and snorts. It’s very British.
By the way, my daughter now has a nicer car than I do, which is a sign she is doing well. Or, as with so many young people, she is up to her hoop earrings in consumer debt.
1.Which of the following statements in NOT true about the author’s daughter?
A.She is fashionable. B.She always tells the truth.
C.She is doing well in her work. D.She lives a fast-paced life.
2.The author’s tone suggests that_________.
A.he is feeling left behind when his daughter has grown up and begun adult life
B.he is content with his grown daughter
C.he does not like his daughter’s bosses
D.he will not believe his daughter any more
3.It can be concluded from the passage that_________.
A.the author won’t have any difficulty in getting gas
B.the daughter cares for her father a lot
C.the author has done a lot to help his daughter get where she is
D.the British people have pretty chin and snort often
4.By referring to J. D. Salinger and Holden Caulfield, the author is most probably_________.
A.recalling his daughter’s childhood
B.mentioning his family members who are now dead
C.comparing his situation to a scene in a famous literary work
D.telling a story about his daughter’s friends
5.What is the best title for this passage?
A.A PR’s Busy Life
B.Relationship Between Dad and Daughter
C.A Loving Father
D.Go Ahead and Fill Her up, Dad
At 18, many American young people go off on their own. They go away to college or find full-time jobs, and they often rent their own apartments. Some get married and start families. This independence(独立性) is learned from childhood.
From an early age, American children learn responsibility(责任感). Children as young as 2 begin to put away their toys and dress themselves. At 3, many children do simple chores like setting the table.
Using money wisely is also taught early. As soon as a child understands the value of money, he or she receives a weekly allowance. This is used for things the child wants, like toys or treats. The child can spend or save it, usually with little guidance(指导) from parents. If the child wants money besides his or her allowance, it must be made by doing extra chores.
Children are taught early in life to think for themselves. They are allowed to make some decisions—and make mistakes. Failure(失败)often teaches more than success.Many American young people begin to live on themselves __________.
A.at eighteen years old | B.from childhood |
C.after they get married | D.from an early age |
An American child learns to __________ at the age of 2.
A.find a full-time job |
B.rent an apartment |
C.put on his or her own clothes |
D.do lots of chores |
The word “allowance”(in paragraph 3)means __________ in Chinese.
A.零花钱 | B.奖品 | C.财产 | D.礼物 |
A child can get some more money by __________.
A.understanding the value of money |
B.helping the rich |
C.reading many books |
D.doing extra chores |
The passage is mainly about __________.
A.the guidance from parents |
B.the value of money |
C.the independence of American children |
D.failure and success of American children |
Kept inside on a rainy day? Take the kids to your closest children’s museum, where they can learn about their world while having a fantastic time.
Please Touch Museum It can make your children’s life rich and colorful by offering play and hands-on(亲身实践)programs… Address ² 4231 Avenue of the Republic, Philadelphia Hours & Admission ![]() ² CLOSED: Mondays ² Under the age of 2: FREE ² Children and adults: $15 each For more information, visit www.pleasetouchmuseum.org |
Madison Children’s Museum In this green museum, kids can get hands-on learning about nature… Address ² 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI 53703 Hours & Admission ![]() ² CLOSED: Mondays ² Under the age of 1: FREE ² Children and adults: $12 each For more information, visit www.madisonchmuseum.org |
National Museum of Play It is an exciting, hands-on place to play, learn, dream, wonder, and… Address ² Manhattan Square, Rochester, New York Hours & Admission ² Monday—Thursday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. ² Friday & Saturday: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. ² Sunday: Noon to 5 p.m. ² Under the age of 2: FREE ² Children and adults: $15 each ![]() |
Children’s Museum of Phoenix It is a fantastic place of imagination, creativity and fun with over 300 hands-on activities and many kinds of classes and programs… Address ² 215 N. 7th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85034 Hours & Admission ² Tuesday—Sunday: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. ![]() ² Under the age of 1: FREE ² Children and adults: $18 each For more information, visit www.childmusephx.org |
Which museum opens on Monday afternoon?
A.Please Touch Museum. |
B.Madison Children’s Museum. |
C.National Museum of Play. |
D.Children’s Museum of Phoenix. |
If Mr. Moor takes his one-year-old son to Please Touch Museum, they will pay .
A.$12 | B.$15 | C.$18 | D.$30 |
If Adam would like his children to learn more about nature, he can go to for more information.
A.www.childrensmuseums.org |
B.www.childmusephx.org |
C.www.pleasetouchmuseum.org |
D.www.madisonchmuseum.org |
Which of the following about the four museums is TRUE?
A.They all offer children hands-on activities. |
B.They are all open on weekdays. |
C.They are all closed after 5 in the afternoon. |
D.They are all in the city of Phoenix. |
Where does the text probably come from?
A.A science textbook. | B.A news report. |
C.A museum guide. | D.A tourist map. |
Many centuries ago, birthdays were considered a time when the bad spirits were able to harm you. It was believed that you should have your friends and family around you so that their good wishes and present-giving would keep the bad spirits away. People also believed that, by lighting candles, they were sending a signal or wishes to the gods.
Later on, candles started to be used on birthday cakes. One story about the beginnings of the birthday cake is that it started with the Greeks, who made round cakes standing for the full moon for their moon goddess(女神). They also placed candles on the cake to make it light, again like the moon.
However, the Germans are said to have first used cakes and candles. They used a sweet cake and they put a large candle in the centre of the cake to mean “the light of life”.
The “Happy Birthday” song is more than a hundred years old. The music was written in 1893 by two sisters, Patty and Mildred Hill, who were schoolteachers in Louisville, Kentucky. The music was first used as a morning greeting to their students with the title, “Good Morning To All”. In 1935, the words legally belonged to the Hill sisters, and the copyright(版权)has been bought and sold for millions of dollars ever since. The present copyright is owned by Warner Communications. They bought it in 1989 for more than $22 million. The text mainly talks about .
A.the ways of making cakes |
B.the customs of lighting candles |
C.the beginnings of birthdays |
D.the history of the birthday song |
People celebrated birthdays many centuries ago to .
A.have a great dinner |
B.get birthday presents |
C.light birthday candles |
D.keep the bad spirits away |
Why did the Greeks put candles on the cake?
A.To light up the dark room. |
B.To make the cake beautiful. |
C.To see where the cake was. |
D.To make it look like the moon. |
When was the music written?
A.In 1893. | B.In 1913. |
C.In 1935. | D.In 1989. |
Who is the present owner of the song “Happy Birthday”?
A.Patty and Mildred Hill. |
B.Warner Communications. |
C.A Greek cake company. |
D.A German schoolteacher. |
Medical scientists are already putting computer chips(芯片)directly into the brain to help people who have Parkinson’s disease, but in what other ways might computer technology be able to help us? Ray Kurzweil is the author of the successful book The Age Of Intelligent Machines. He is also one of the world’s best computer research scientists. He is researching the possibilities.
Kurzweil gets computers to recognize voices. An example of this is Ramona, the virtual hostess of Kurzweil’s website, created by the computer, who is able to understand what you say. Visitors to the website can have their own conversations with her. Ramona also dances and sings.
Kurzweil uses this technology to help people with physical problems. One of his ideas is a “seeing machine”. This will be “like a friend that could describe what is going on around,” he explains. Blind people will use a sensor(传感器)which will probably be built into a pair of sunglasses. This machine will describe to the person everything it sees.
Another idea, which is likely to help deaf people, is the “listening machine”. This invention will recognize millions of words and understand any speaker. The listening machine will also be able to translate what it hears into other languages, so even people without hearing problems are likely to be interested in using it.
But it is not just about helping people with physical problems. Looking further into future, Kurzweil sees a time when we will be able to store what we hear, see and think in a computer. This technology probably won’t be ready for at least 50 years, but when it arrives, it means our minds will be able to live forever.Ray Kurzweil is .
A.a famous medical scientist |
B.a computer research scientist |
C.a patient with Parkinson’s |
D.an inventor of computer chips |
What can Ramona do?
A.She can talk with her visitors. |
B.She can treat brain diseases. |
C.She can help deaf people listen. |
D.She can teach people to sing. |
How can the “seeing machine” help blind people?
A.It can help to treat their eyes. |
B.It can translate into other languages. |
C.It can help them to see the future. |
D.It can describe to them what it sees. |
The word “virtual” in Paragraph 2 probably means .
A.虚拟的 | B.友好的 | C.漂亮的 | D.忙碌的 |
What can be the best title for the text?
A.The Seeing Machines |
B.The Listening Machines |
C.The Intelligent Machines |
D.The Translating Machines |
An 18-year-old student was struggling to pay his fees. Not knowing where to get the money, he and a friend decided to host a musical concert to raise money for their education.
They went to the great pianist Paderewski. His manager demanded $2,000 for the piano recital(独奏会). A deal was made and the boys began to work to make the concert a success.
The big day arrived. But unfortunately, they hadn’t managed to sell enough tickets. The total collection was only $1,600. Disappointed, they went to Paderewski and gave him the entire $1,600, and promised to pay him the rest $400 back as soon as possible. “No,” said Paderewski. “Keep the money you need for your fees. And just give me whatever is left.” The boys were surprised, and very thankful.
Paderewski later became the Prime Minister of Poland, and he was a great leader. When the World War broke out, more than l.5 million people went hungry, but there was no food to feed them. Paderewski turned to the US Food and Relief Administration for help.
The head there was a man called Herbert Hoover — who later became the US President. Hoover agreed to help and quickly shipped tons of food to Poland.
Paderewski decided to go across to thank Hoover himself. When Paderewski began to thank Hoover for his kindness, Hoover quickly stopped him and said, “You shouldn’t be thanking me, Mr. Prime Minister. You may not remember this, but several years ago, you helped two young students go through college. I was one of them.”Why did the two students decide to raise money?
A.To help people in Poland. |
B.To buy the concert tickets. |
C.To pay for their education. |
D.To hold a musical concert. |
How much money did the two students raise?
A.$400. | B.$1,200. | C.$1,600. | D.$2,000. |
What did the two students think of the pianist?
A.Greedy. | B.Humorous. | C.Shy. | D.Helpful. |
What can we learn about Herbert Hoover?
A.He was one of the American presidents. |
B.He didn’t finish his college education. |
C.He was very rich when he was young. |
D.He was one of Paderewski’s students. |
What can we learn from the text?
A.Great minds think alike. |
B.Kindness brings its own rewards. |
C.Honesty is the best policy. |
D.Where there’s a will, there’s a way. |