In the southern part of America, when somebody has a birthday, often family or friends, or both, will arrange a party. The party could be elaborate(精心准备的)and include a meal or may be simple with a birthday cake and drinks. One does not plan, nor give, one’s own birthday as is the custom in some cultures. At a party there is usually a decorated cake, often with the words “Happy Birthday” and with the name of the person written on the top of the cake. Sometimes there is also one candle for each year of the person celebrating the birthday before the cake is cut. While blowing out the candles, the person makes a wish for something pleasant.
Usually those invited to a birthday party will bring a gift for the person honored. Gifts given by friends do not have to be expensive, but the family of the birthday person will spend whatever they can afford on a gift.
Christmas parties also are very popular in the South. Often this is the only time during the year that some people see acquaintances(熟人). These parties can be elaborate or simple, ranging from a buffet(自助餐)to a reception called “open house (家庭招待会)”. If you are invited to one of these, you don’t need to take a Christmas gift, as it is not customary to take the hostess a gift every time you are invited to a party or a meal. However, if you wish to take a gift, it should only be something useful and inexpensive and should be given to the hostess at the door as you enter the party. Usually gifts of Christmas food treats are the most appreciated.
51. On one’s birthday, before blowing out the candles, he or she will______.
A. wear beautiful clothes B. eat birthday cake
C. invite friends D. make a wish
52. This passage mainly tells us about __________.
A. two kinds of parties in the southern United States
B. how to arrange a birthday party
C. how to arrange a Christmas party
D. who will arrange a party
53. In southern America , birthday parties are often arranged by _________.
A. friends B. oneself C. family D. Both A and C
54. Which of the following is true?
A.For a birthday party, the cake is often cut before candles are blown out.
B.For a birthday party, neither friends nor the family will buy expensive presents.
C. It’s customary to take the hostess a gift when you are invited to a party.
D.If you take a gift to a Christmas party, you’d better take something useful and inexpensive.
55. What kind of gift is the best if someone is invited to a Christmas party?
A. Expensive things B. Candles C. Food D. Money
Thirteen vehicles lined up last March to race across the Mojave Desert, seeking a million in prize money. To win, they had to finish the 142-mile race in less than 10 hours. Teams and watchers knew there might be no winner at all, because these vehicles were missing a key part －drivers.
DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, organized the race as part of a push to develop robotic vehicles for future battlefields. But the Grand Challenge, as it was called, just proved how difficult it is to get a car to speed across an unfamiliar desert without human guidance. One had its brake lock up in the starting area. Another began by throwing itself onto a wall. Another got tied up by bushes near the road after 1.9 miles.
One turned upside down. One took off in entirely the wrong direction and had to be disabled by remote control. One went a little more than a mile and rushed into a fence; another managed to go for six miles but stuck on a rock. The “winner,” if there was any; reached 7.8 miles before it ran into a long, narrow hole, and the front wheels caught on fire.
“You get a lot of respect for natural abilities of the living things,” says Reinhold Behringer, who helped design two of the car-size vehicles for a company called Sci-Autonics. “Even ants can do all these tasks effortlessly . It’s very hard for us to put these abilities into our machines.”
The robotic vehicles, though with necessary modern equipment such as advanced computers and GPS guidance, had trouble figuring out fast enough the blocks ahead that a two-year-old human recognizes immediately, Sure, that very young child, who has just only learned to walk, may not think to wipe apple juice off her face, but she already knows that when there’s a cookie in the kitchen she has to climb up the table, and that when she gets to the cookie it will taste good. She is more advanced, even months old, than any machine humans have designed.Watchers doubted if any of the vehicles could finish the race because .
| A．they did not have any human guidance |
| B．the road was not familiar to the drivers |
| C．the distance was too long for the vehicles |
| D．the prize money was unattractive to the drivers |
DARPA organized the race in order to.
| A．raise money for producing more robotic vehicles |
| B．push the development of vehicle industry |
| C．train more people to drive in the desert |
| D．improve the vehicles for future wars |
From the passage we know “robotic vehicles” are a kind of machines that.
| A．can do effortlessly whatever tasks living thing can |
| B．can take part in a race across 142 miles with a time limit |
| C．can show off their ability to turn themselves upside down |
| D．can move from place to place without being driven by human beings |
In the race, the greatest distance one robotic vehicle covered was .
| A．about eight miles | B．six miles |
| C．almost two miles | D．about one mile |
In the last paragraph, the writer implies that there is a long way to go.
| A．for a robotic vehicle to finish a 142-mile race without any difficulties |
| B．for a little child who has just learned to walk to reach the cookie on the table |
| C．for a robotic vehicle to deal with a simple problem that a little child can solve |
| D．for a little child to understand the importance of wiping apple juice off its face |
I’ve loved my mother’s desk since I was just tall enough to sit above the top of it. Mother sat writing letters. Standing by her chair, looking at the ink bottle, pens, and white paper, I decided that the act of writing must be a most wonderful thing in the world.
Years later, during her final illness, Mother kept different things for my sister and brother. “But the desk,” she said again, “is for Elizabeth.”
I never saw her angry, never saw her cry. I knew she loved me; she showed in action. But as a young girl. I wanted to have heart-to-heart talks between mother and daughter.
They never happened. And a gulf opened between us. I was “too emotional ”. But she lived “on the surface ”.
As years passed and I had my own family. I loved my mother and thanked her for our happy family. I wrote to her in careful words and asked her to let me know in any way she chose that she did forgive me.
My hope turned to disappointment, then little interest and, finally, peace – it seemed that nothing happened. I couldn’t be sure that the letter had even got to Mother. I only knew that I had written it, and I could stop trying to make her into someone she was not.
But the present of her desk told me, as she’d never been able to, that she was pleased that writing was my chosen work. I cleaned the desk carefully and found some papers inside – a photo of my father and a one-paper letter, folded and refolded many times. It was my letter.
“In any way you choose, Mother, you always chose the act that speaks louder than words.”The writer began to love her mother’s desk________.
| A．after Mother died |
| B．before she became a writer |
| C．when she was a child |
| D．when Mother gave it to her |
The passage shows that_________.
| A．Mother was cold on the surface but kind in her heart to her daughter |
| B．Mother was too serious about her daughter in words |
| C．Mother wrote to her daughter in careful words |
| D．Mother wrote to her daughter in careless words |
The underlined word “gulf” in the passage means_______.
| A．deep understanding between the old and the young |
| B．different ideas between mother and daughter |
| C．free talks between mother and daughter |
| D．part of the sea going far in land |
What did Mother do with her daughter’s letter asking for forgiveness?
| A．She had never received the letter. |
| B．For years, she often talked about the letter. |
| C．She didn’t forgive her daughter at all in all her life. |
| D．She read the letter again and again till she died. |
What’s best title of the passage?
| A．My letter to Mother |
| B．Mother and children |
| C．My Mother’s Desk |
| D．Talks between Mother and me |
“Lizzie, there’s a letter for you!” Emily called up the stairs to her sister. Elizabeth looked down. “Is it from Harvard? They refused my application once.” Emily answered, “No, it’s from Yale.” Quickly, Elizabeth walked downstairs. She took the letter and opened it. “Rejected again,” Elizabeth said unhappily. “Who says women can’t be doctors?”
“They are fools not to accept you. You can’t let them stop you, Lizzie,” Emily said.
“I won’t. I’ll apply to Geneva Medical College,” Elizabeth told her sister. As it turned out, the professors at Geneva Medical College were not fools. They allowed Elizabeth Blackwell to study medicine.
In 1848, a year before Elizabeth would graduate, a typhoid epidemic (伤寒流行病) broke out in New York. Elizabeth wrote to Emily. “There’s an outbreak of typhoid, and I am going to help. It is dangerous, so if I should not survive, please do me the honor of studying medicine yourself.”
Emily replied, “Encouraged by your dream and success, I have decided to study in medical school, as well.”
Having survived the disease, Elizabeth tried to set up a private medical practice. “I graduated first in my class but no one believes a woman can be a good doctor,” she said to Emily one day. “All I hear is that doctors should be men, while women should stay home to cook and clean.”
Emily said worriedly, “I will graduate in June with my medical degree. What shall we do?” Elizabeth thought for a while and replied, “There’s a big house in the poor part of our town. We can practice medicine there for people who couldn’t afford care.”
Soon with the help of some friends, Elizabeth and Emily bought the house and opened a hospital for poor women and children. “We’ll have an all-women staff ,” Elizabeth said. “And later, we’ll add a medical college for women!” Emily added. At last, Elizabeth realized her dream of being a doctor.The underlined word “Rejected” in the first paragraph can be best replaced by _____.
| A．Refused | B．Praised |
| C．Changed | D．Accepted |
Hearing Elizabeth’s words about the letter from Yale, Emily felt _____.
| A．excited | B．calm |
| C．satisfied | D．angry |
In 1848, Elizabeth wrote to Emily to _____.
| A．persuade Emily to come to help the sick |
| B．ask Emily to study medicine if she died |
| C．warn Emily the danger of typhoid epidemic |
| D．tell Emily she would graduate from college |
We can learn from the text that Elizabeth _____.
| A．received strong support from her sister |
| B．refused to go to study at Yale University |
| C．founded a medical college after graduation |
| D．was finally accepted by Harvard after her efforts |
Which of the following can best be used to describe Elizabeth?
| A．Humorous. | B．Honest. |
| C．Determined. | D．Careful |
Animals, including insects, don't have a "language" like ours. They do not 'talk' to each other in words and sentences. But if we watch them, we can see that they do have their ways of communicating with each other.
Can you see the rabbit's tail? When rabbits see this white tail moving up and down, they run away. They know that they are in danger. The rabbit has told them something without making a sound. It has given them a signal.
Many other animals use this kind of "language". When a cobra is angry, it raises its head and makes itself look powerful . This warns other animals. When a bee has found food, it goes back to its home. It cannot 'tell' the other bees where the food is by speaking to them, but it does a little dance. This tells the bees where the food is.
Some animals "say" things by making sounds. A dog barks, for example, when a stranger comes near. A cat purrs when it is pleased. Some birds make several different sounds, each with its own meaning. Sometimes we human beings speak in the same way. We make sounds like "Oh" or "Ah" when we are frightened or pleased or when we drop something on our toes.Which one is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Animals have languages like human beings. |
| B．Bees communicate with each other by dancing. |
| C．Animals can use words. |
| D．Animals are brave. |
A rabbit uses its tail to ______.
| A．warn other rabbits when they are in danger |
| B．tell other rabbits where food is |
| C．make itself look powerful |
| D．help it to run fast |
When a cobra is angry, it ______.
| A．makes a loud noise | B．raises its head |
| C．moves up and down | D．does a little dance |
Several different sounds can be made by a _ _
| A．rabbit | B．bee | C．bird | D．fish |
From the passage, we know that _____ use words and sentences to express ideas and thoughts.
| A．all living things | B．all animals |
| C．some birds | D．human beings |
The new year has begun and some people may be looking to 2015 as the year they get a dog. A furry friend will bring a lot of fun and companionship to your family — especially for urban residents who always feel lonely living in the fast-paced society. But looking after a pet does require some responsibility from the pet owner if you want your new friend to be healthy and happy in your family.
The following is a checklist for people who are considering adopting an animal.
Where to find a dog
There are hundreds of pet shops in Shanghai, big and small, where you can find puppies at a cost ranging from a few hundred to tens of thousands of yuan. The pet shop will tell you some basic facts about dogs of a specific breed. But don't forget to ask about the vaccination status if you are buying a puppy, which needs three injections with an interval of three to four weeks between shots.
Another option is to ask your friends if they know anyone with a dog that has recently had puppies. This option is more reliable than buying a puppy from someone you don’t know, especially the street peddlers who might carry animals with diseases.
Another highly recommended option is to adopt one from an NGO dedicated to providing shelter and protecting stray animals. This is quite practical if you don't care about the dog's breed.
Vaccination (疫苗)
As a pet owner, there are some things you must do otherwise you may get into big trouble, and one of these is getting your dog vaccinated.
Dogs need regular shots to fight against canine parvovirus (犬细小病毒), rabies and other diseases or viruses.
To ensure the vaccines are not substandard, we strongly recommend you get your furry friend a shot from a qualified vet, which may cost a few hundred yuan each year.
Another advantage of using the vet as opposed to getting your dog vaccinated yourself, is that the vet will examine its condition to see whether it is suitable to get a shot now and take immediate action if it has an allergic reaction to the vaccine.
Because you are advised not to give your animal a bath for one week following its vaccination, you should clean your animal one or two days before the shot if you don’t want your dog to get too dirty.
Parasite (寄生虫) protection
As a pet owner, you need to be prepared to get rid of fleas (跳蚤), heartworm (犬心虫), roundworm (蛔虫）, intestinal worms and other parasites from your dog.
Dogs need regular flea and tick control and parasite protection, even if it does not show symptoms of being affected by the parasite. An adult dog needs to be fed with a tablet every six months to make sure it does not have any parasite.
You also need to take measures every three months to help expel fleas and ticks from your animal. You need to learn the signs of a flea bite: they may immediately cause a dog to feel extremely itchy. Within 30 minutes of a bite, they may develop a red bump. Secondary infections caused by scratching are also common.
Dog training
No dog is born with good manners. Pooping on the carpet, leaping enthusiastically onto guests, pulling so hard that it practically yanks your arm out of the socket when on walks — that’s all perfectly acceptable in the canine world. It's up to you to teach your dog to behave the way humans want it to.
Despite the adage（谚语；格言） about old dogs and new tricks, there are no age limits to teaching dogs. And whether you've got a brand-new puppy or an older dog, the first step is the same: learn how to be a good teacher.
Every dog is different and will respond better to a slightly different training style, but these general guidelines apply: stay consistent and patient, and reward your dog for getting it right.The underlined word “vet” means____________.
| A．a surgeon | B．a physician |
| C．a dentist | D．a doctor who treats animals |
According to the article, how many aspects should a pet owner pay attention to?
| A．Two | B．Three | C．Four | D．Five |
Which of the following sentences is FALSE?
| A．A dog can bring much fun and companionship to your family — especially for urban residents who always feel lonely living in the fast-paced society. |
| B．As a pet owner, it is unnecessary for you to be prepared to get rid of fleas. |
| C．It's up to you to teach your dog to behave the way humans want it to. |
| D．After getting a dog, the first step for its owner is to be a good teacher. |