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A
In the mid-1950s, I was a somewhat bored early-adolescent male student who believed that doing any more than necessary was wasted effort. One day, this approach threw me into embarrassment
In Mrs. Totten’s eighth-grade math class at Central Avenue School in Anderson, Indiana, we were learning to add and subtract decimals (小数).
Our teacher typically assigned daily homework, which would be recited in class the following day. On most days, our grades were based on our oral answer to homework questions.
Mrs. Totten usually walked up and down the rows of desks requesting answers from student after student in the order the questions had appeared on our homework sheets. She would start either at the front or the back of the classroom and work toward the other end.
Since I was seated near the middle of about 35 students, it was easy to figure out which questions I might have to answer. This particular time, I had completed my usual two or three problems according to my calculations.
What I failed to expect was that several students were absent, which threw off my estimate. As Mrs. Totten made her way from the beginning of the class，I desperately tried to determine which math problem I would get. I tried to work it out before she got to me, but I had brain freeze and couldn’t function.
When Mrs. Totten reached my desk，she asked what answer I’d got for problem No. 14. “I…I didn’t get anything,” I answered，and my face felt warm.
“Correct,” she said.
It turned out that the correct answer was zero.
What did I learn that day? First, always do all your homework. Second, in real life it isn’t always what you say but how you say it that matters. Third，I would never make it as a mathematician.
If I could choose one school day that taught me the most, it would be that one.
What does the underlined part in Paragraph 1 indicate?

A．It is wise to value one’s time.

B．It is important to make an effort

C．It is right to stick to one’s belief.

D．It is enough to do the necessary.

Usually, Mrs. Totten asked her students to _______.

A． recite their homework together

B．grade their homework themselves

C．answer their homework questions orally

D．check the answers to their homework questions

The author could work out which questions to answer since the teacher always _______.

A．asked questions in a regular way

B．walked up and down when asking questions

C．chose two or three questions for the students

D．requested her students to finish their usual questions

The author failed to get the questions he had expected because _______.

A．the class didn’t begin as usual

B．several students didn’t come to school

C．he didn’t try hard to make his estimate

D．Mrs. Totten didn’t start from the back of the class

Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?

A．An Unforgettable Teacher

B．A Future Mathematician

C．An Effective Approach

D．A Valuable Lesson

D
Many children first learn the value of money by receiving an allowance (pocket money). The purpose is to let children learn from experiences at an age when financial mistakes are not very costly.
The amount of money that parents give to their children to spend as they wish differs from family to family. Timing is another consideration. Some children get a weekly allowance. Others get a monthly allowance.
In any case, parents should make clear what, if anything, the child is expected to pay for with the money. At first, young children may spend all of their allowance soon after they receive it. If they do this,they will learn the hard way that spending must be done within a budget (预算). Parents are usually advised not to offer more money until the next allowance. The object is to show young people that a budget demands a choice between spending and saving. Older children may be responsible enough to save money for larger costs, like clothing or electronics.
Many people who have written on the subject of allowances say it is not a good idea to pay your child for work around the home. These jobs are a normal part of family life. Paying children to do extra work around the house, however, can be useful. It can even provide an understanding of how a business works.
Allowances give children a chance to experience the three things they can do with money. They can share it in the form of gifts or giving to a good cause. They can spend it by buying things they want. Or they can save it.
Saving helps children understand that costly goals require sacrifice. You have to cut costs and plan for the future. Requiring children to save part of their allowances can also open the door to future saving and investing. Many banks offer services to help children and teenagers learn about personal finance. A saving account is an excellent way to learn about the power of compound interest.
Compounding works by paying interest. So, for example, one dollar invested at two percent interest for two years will earn two cents in the first year. The second year, the money will earn two percent of one dollar and two cents, and so on. That may not seem like a lot, but over time it adds up.
Parents give their children allowances in order to _____.

A．show off their wealth of family

B．let them make more money

C．learn the value of money

D．help children manage family finance

What is the second paragraph mainly about?

A．The time to give allowances.

B．The way to spend alloweances.

C．the amount of allowances given to children.

D．Considerations taken to give allowances.

Why are parents adivsed to offer young children allowances strictly as planned?

A．To help children learn to make a budget.

B．To have children save money for larger costs.

C．To let children make fewer mistakes.

D．To give them more allowances next time.

What does the author intend to tel lthe readers?

A．The methods of limiting allowances.

B．The advice on a better family budget.

C．Teaching children to use allowances wisely.

D．Offering allowances to children properly.

C
A Southampton University team found that people who were vegetarians by 30 had recorded five IQ points higher on average at the age of 10. Researchers said it could explain why people with a higher IQ were healthier as a vegetarian diet was linked to lower heart disease and obesity rates. The study of 8,179 people was reported in the British Medical Journal.
Twenty years after the IQ tests were carried out in 1970, 366 of the participants said they were vegetarians — although more than 100 reported eating either fish or chicken.
Men who were vegetarians had an IQ score of 106, compared with 101 for non-vegetarians; while female vegetarians averaged 104, compared with 99 for non-vegetarians. There was no difference in the IQ scores, between strict vegetarians and those who said they were vegetarians but reported eating fish or chicken.
Researchers said the findings were partly related to better education and higher class, but it remained statistically significant after adjusting for these factors.
Vegetarians were more likely to be female, to be of higher social class and to have higher academic or vocational qualifications than non-vegetarians. However, these differences were not reflected in their annual income, which was similar to that of non-vegetarians.
Lead researcher Catharine Gale said, “The findings that children with greater intelligence are more likely to report being vegetarians as adults, together with the evidence on the potential benefits of a vegetarian diet on heart health, may help to explain why a higher IQ in childhood or adolescence is linked with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease in adult life.
But Dr Frankie Phillips of the British Dietetic Association said，“It is like the chicken and egg. Do people become vegetarians because they have a very high IQ or is it just that they are clever enough to be more aware of health issues？”
What’ s the result of the research mentioned in the text?

A．Children with a higher IQ are less likely to have heart disease later in life.

B．Intelligent children are more likely to become vegetarians later in life.

C．Intelligent children tend to belong to higher social class later in life.

D．Children with a healthier heart tend to have a higher IQ later in life.

It was found in the research that________.

A．most of the participants became vegetarians 20 years after the IQ tests were carried out

B．female vegetarians were more likely to have higher annual income than non-vegetarians

C．vegetarians who ate fish or chicken were of similar intelligence with strict vegetarians

D．vegetarians were more likely to have higher annual income than non-vegetarians

Catharine Gale talked about “being vegetarians” in a(n)________way.

A．doubtful	B．favorable
C．negative	D．objective

What’ s the best title for the text?

A．Get more IQ points!

B．Be a vegetarian, please!

C．A high IQ is linked to being a vegetarian

D．Vegetarian diet cuts heart risk

B
Woman Uses Daughter's Key to "Steal" Car
Charlie Vansant, a college student of Athens, Ohio who reported that his car was stolen, got a surprise when he learned a woman had mistaken it for her daughter's car and taken it－using her key.
Kate Anderson became an accidental car thief when picking up her daughter's car near an Ohio University building last week. Anderson spotted the Toyota Camry（丰田凯美瑞）and used her daughter's key to unlock the car, start the engine and drive home-without realizing that the car wasn't her daughter's.
When Charlie Vansant left class a short time later, he found only an empty parking spot. He first assumed the car had been towed, but when the police couldn't find a record of it, they took a theft report.
The morning after Anderson took the car, her daughter discovered the Camry in the driveway wasn't hers. Anderson said she was able to find Vansant's name on paperwork in the glove compartment and look up his phone number on the website for the university.
When Anderson told Charlie the car was in her driveway, "It sounded real suspicious at first, as she wanted to hold the thing for ransom（赎金）,” said Vansant. He eventually went to the house with a police officer, where he was reunited with his car. According to the police report, the case was closed "because of mistaken car identity", Anderson wasn't charged.
Vansant seemed to blame the car company more than the "thief". "Her key fit not only my lock, but my ignition（点火装置） as well - so high-five for Toyota. I guess." he said.
What does the underlined word "towed" mean in paragraph 3?

A．removed.	B．damaged.
C．stolen.	D．sold.

Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A．Mrs. Anderson's daughter discovered the car her mother drove was not hers.

B．Mrs. Anderson stole Charlie's car at the request of her daughter.

C．Charlie had thought he had to give Anderson money to get his car back.

D．Mrs. Anderson used her daughter's key to unlock Charlie's car and drive home.

What does Charlie mean by "high-five for Toyota"?

A．He is blaming Toyota for the poor quality of car keys.

B．He should thank Toyota for returning his car.

C．He wants to celebrate with Toyota for getting his car back.

D．He thinks highly of Toyota for producing large quantities of cars.

What is likely to happen next according to the passage?

A．Mrs. Anderson was charged with stealing a car.

B．Charlie blamed Mrs. Anderson for mistakenly taking his car.

C．Charlie would ask the Toyota Company to give him an explanation.

D．The Toyota Company would give Charlie a new car as compensation.

A
It's time for your family to relax and have fun! The following family adventures have links for you to get more information．
Take the Rides of Your Life

Visit Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, to seek thrills "Even though it's located off the beaten track, experts regularly praise Cedar Point as the best overall theme park of the country," says U．S． News & World Report． The park calls itself the roller coaster capital of the world, and with 16 to choose from, it's hard to argue． It's open daily from May 10 through Labor Day; weekends only from Labor Day through November 2．
Tickets start at $ 48．99 per person if purchased online．
http://www．cedarpoint,com．
Wander Free on a Dude farm

Dust off your cowboy boots and ready your cowboy hats for a visit to this Rocky Mountains paradise． Located in Augusta, Montana, "The farm has everything an aspiring cowboy or girl could long for," says Sunset magazine, including hiking trails, fishing trips, campfires with sing-alongs, and, of course, horseback rides． The large farm operates from June through September; kids-only and adults-only
programs are available．
Total cost starts at $ 1,360 per adult, $ 1,276 per teen, and $ 1,168 per child．
http://www．triplejranch．com．
Dig for Dinosaurs

Most kids （and adults） love dinosaurs, and to make their wildest dreams come true, head to Fruita, Colorado． The Museum of Western Colorado offers Dino Digs for children ages five and older． You can choose from one-, three-, and five-day expeditions． "Imagine how your child will feel when she helps unearth the fossilized（化石） bones of ancient species," says Outside magazine． It lasts from May to October．
Digs start at $ 125 per person．
http://www．museumofwesternco．com
Surf Sand Dunes

Swap your snowboard for a sand-board, and head to Sand Master Park in Florence, Oregon． Real Simple recommends learning the basics at this private dune park, "which offers board rentals and lessons - often taught by world-champion sand boarders．" Then you 'can hit the ",slopes" to test your skills． From March to June, and September to November．
Rentals for a sand-board start at $ 10 per day; lessons start at $ 45 an hour per person．
http:/'www．sandmasterpark．com．
What is special about Cedar Point?

A．You can visit Cedar Point on weekends．

B．It has 16 roller coasters for you to choose from．

C．You can help unearth the fossilized bones of dinosaurs．

D．It offers lessons taught by world-champion sand boarders．

If you have a 3-day holiday in April, which of the following may interest you most?

A．Take the Rides of Your Life

B．Wander Free on a Dude farm

C．Dig for Dinosaurs

D．Surf Sand Dunes

Where will you probably find this passage?

A．A science fiction．

B．An adventure storybook．

C．A travel magazine．

D．A theme park advertisement．