It's no secret that many children would be healthier and happier with adoptive parents than with the parents that nature dealt them. That's especially true of children who remain in abusive homes because the law blindly favors biological parents. It's also true of children who suffer for years in foster homes (收养孩子的家庭) because of parents who can't or won't care for them but refuse to give up custody (监护) rights.
Fourteen-year-old Kimberly Mays fits neither description, but her recent court victory could eventually help children who do. Kimberly has been the object of an angry custody baffle between the man who raised her and her biological parents, with whom she has never lived. A Florida judge ruled that the teenager can remain with the only father she's ever known and that her biological parents have "no legal claim" on her.
The ruling, though it may yet be reversed, sets aside the principle that biology is the primary determinant of parentage. That's an important development, one that's long overdue.
Shortly after birth in December 1978, Kimberly Mays and another infant were mistakenly switched and sent home with the wrong parents. Kimberly's biological parents, Ernest and Regina Twigg, received a child who died of a heart disease in 1988. Medical tests showed that the child wasn't the Twiggs' own daughter, but Kimt only was, thus sparking a custody battle with Robert Mays. In 1989, the two families agreed that Mr. Mays would maintain custody with the Twiggs getting visiting fights. Those rights were ended when Mr. Mays decided that Kimberly was being harmed.
The decision to leave Kimberly with Mr. Mays rendered her suit debated. But the judge made clear that Kimberly did have standing to sue ( 起诉) on her own behalf. Thus he made clear that she was more than just property to be handled as adults saw fit.
Certainly, the biological link between parent and child is fundamental. But biological parents aren't always preferable to adoptive ones, and biological parentage does not convey an absolute ownership that cancels all the rights of children.
36. What was the primary consideration in the Florida judge's ruling?
A. The biological link. B. The child's benefits.
C. The traditional practice. D. The parents' feelings.
37. We can learn from the Kimberly case that
A. children are more than just personal possessions of their parents
B. the biological link between parent and child should be emphasized
C. foster homes bring children more pain and suffering than care
D. biological parents shouldn't claim custody rights after their child is adopted
38. The Twiggs claimed custody rights to Kimberly because
A. they found her unhappy in Mr. Mays' custody B. they regarded her as their property
C. they were her biological parents D. they felt guilty about their past mistake
39. Kimberly had been given to Mr. Mays
A. by sheer accident B. at his request C. out of charity D. for better care
40. The author's attitude towards the judge's ruling could be described as
A. doubtful B. cautious C. critical D. supportive
A 69-year-old grandmother with no teeth of her own has eventually won a long legal battle to stop a Scottish regional council（政务委员会）adding fluoride（氟化物）chemical to the public water supply.
In a case which has already cost the taxpayer ￡1,000,000, the judge ruled that it was beyond the powers of the local authority to add the chemical to the water in order to reduce tooth decay.
At her home last night Mrs Catherine fluoride to public drinking water made it into some kind of dirty soup. “Where would it stop?” she asked. “They might come up with the idea of putting drugs into the water to keep the unemployed quiet.” It was a horrible poison, she said, that could have caused al kinds of diseases, including cancer.
The judge, however, concluded that there was no evidence to suggest that the inclusion of fluoride in the water supply would have had a negative effect on pulpier health. Although the chemical might serve as an efficient and convenient means of achieving a beneficial effect on the dental health of consumers generally, he said, and its use was greatly favored by the dental profession, he could also understand why some members of the public, Mrs McColl in particular, might be passionately opposed to the action of the Water Authority in assuming the right to improve public well-being without consulting t77he public in the first case. The Authority’s legal duty to provide “wholesome” water for public consumption which was both safe and pleasant to drink ,did not, he said, extend to their right to safeguard public health by chemical means.
72．Mrs McColll felt so strongly about the fluoride issue that she eventually .
A．took the local council to court
B．had a physical fight with the judge
C．urged the authority to apologize
D．spent much money removing the chemical
73．According to what the judge said in the passage, adding fluoride to the water .
A．wasn’t proved to be harmful
B．was the duty of the local authority
C．was strongly poised by dentists
D．was surely beneficial to the public
74．Form the passage we learn that people like Mrs McColl are more concerned about .
A．the improvement of their personal health
B．the problem of unemployment in their community
C．the chemicals to be used for the improvement of water quality
D．their right to be informed of the authorities’ decisions
B
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68．Zeo is a revolution in the science of sleep mainly because it .
A．can record one’s sleep process
B．is the first product to manage one’s sleep
C．is free of medical risks
D．provides access to sleep fitness websites
69．What is the most remarkable feature of Zeo?
A．Its direct contact with sleep scientists.
B．Its individualized coaching program.
C．Its effectiveness in curing sleep disorders.
D．Its immediate analysis of sleep data.
70．What customer service does Zeo provide?
A．Cheap online tools.
B．A 30-day action plan.
C．Personalized bedside display.
D．Free delivery of the product.
71．The passage is primarily written to .
A．encourage people to try the new product
B．instruct people how to use a new tool
C．provide the latest health information
D．illustrate the importance of good sleep habit
Directions: Read the following four 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 you have just read.
All over the world, children in hospital are being treated with a new kind of medicine: laughter. Lucy is 23 and works for Theodora Children's Trust. She is one of many clown（小丑）doctors who bring a smile to the faces of sick children.
"I'm a Theodora clown doctor. I call myself Dr Looloo. I spend two days a week in children's hospitals, making funny faces, telling jokes, and doing magic tricks. As I walk into the wards I blow bubbles, shake hands with the kids, and make up nonsense songs for those children well enough to sing. I take special balloons to make 'balloon animals' and tell funny stories about them.
I'm naturally a very cheerful person. I've always been a clown. In fact my father's a clown a d I started working with him when I was eight year old. I knew it was just the job for me and I became a clown doctor because I think it's a great way to cheer up sick, frightened children in hospital.
Being a clown in hospital is very tiring both physically and emotionally. We have to learn not to show our feelings, otherwise we'd be useless. Clown doctors are sensitive but this is not a side most people see. To the children we're happy all the time. I'm still learning to allow myself to feel sad occasionally. There are special kids you get really close to. At the moment I'm working with a very sick little girl from Bosnia who speaks no English, so our only common language is laughter.
At weekends I participate in events to raise money for Theodora Children's Trust. It's a charity, so we are paid with the money people give. Being a clown doctor makes the worries of everyday life seem small. All in all, feel honoured to do this job. "
| 1． |
Lucy works as a clown doctor because .
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| 2． |
What do clown doctors usually do in hospital?
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| 3． |
Lucy thinks that being a clown doctor is .
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Ⅲ. 阅读理解
We spent a day in the country, picking wild flowers. With the car full of flowers we were going home. On our way back my wife noticed a cupboard outside a furniture shop. It was tall and narrow. “Buy it, ” my wife said at once. “We’ll carry it home on the roof rack. I’ve always wanted one like that.”
What could I do? Ten minutes later I was ￡20 poorer; and the cupboard was tied on the roof rack. It was six feet long and eighteen inches square, quite heavy too.
In the gathering darkness I drove slowly. Other drivers seemed unusually polite that evening. The police even stopped traffic to let us through. Carrying furniture was a good idea.
After a time my wife said, “There’s a long line of cars behind. Why don’t they overtake, I wonder?” In fact a police car did overtake. The two officers inside looked at us seriously as they passed. But then, with great kindness, they led us through the rush-hour traffic. The police car stopped at our village church. One of the officers came to me.
“Right, sir, ” he said. “Do you need any more help?”
I was a bit puzzled. “Thanks, officer, ” I said. “You have been very kind. I live just on the road.”
He was staring at our car, first at the flowers, then at the cupboard. “Well, well, ” he said, laughing. “It’s a cupboard you’ve got there! We thought it was something else.”
My wife began to laugh. The truth hit me like a stone between the eyes. I smiled at the officer. “Yes, it’s a cupboard, but thanks again.” I drove home as fast as I could.
36. In fact the husband _______ the cupboard.
A. would like very much to buy B. badly wanted
C. was glad to have bought D. would rather not buy
37. Other drivers thought they were _______.
A. carrying a cupboard to the church B. sending flowers to the church
C. carrying nothing but a piece of furniture D. going to attend a funeral at the church
38. The police will be more polite to those who are _______.
A. driving in gathering darkness B. in great sorrow
C. driving with wild glowers in the car D. carrying furniture
39. What did the husband think of this matter?
A. It was very strange. B. He felt ashamed of it.
C. He took great pride in it. D. He was puzzled at it.
三、阅读理解：
It is natural for young people to be critical of their parents at times and to blame them for most of the misunderstandings between them. They have always complained, more or less justly, that their parents are out of touch with modern ways; that they are possessive and dominant; that they do not trust their children to deal with crises; that they talk too much about certain problems and that they have no sense of humor, at least in parent-child relationships.
I think it is true that parents often underestimate their teenage children and also forget how they themselves felt when young.
Young people often irritate their parents with their choices in clothes and hairstyles, in entertainers and music. This is not their motive. They feel cut off from the adult world into which they have not yet been accepted. So they create a culture and society of their own. Then, if it turns out that their music or entertainers or vocabulary or clothes or hairstyles irritate their parents, this gives them additional enjoyment. They feel they are superior, at least in a small way, and that they are superior, at least in a small way, and that they are leaders in style and taste.
Sometimes you are resistant and proud because you do not want your parents to approve of what you do. If they did approve, it looks as if you are betraying your own age group. But in that case, you are assuming that you are the underdog: you can’t win but at least you can keep your honor. This is a passive way of looking at things. It is natural enough after long years of childhood, when you were completely under your parents’ control. But it ignores the fact that you are now beginning to be responsible for yourself.
If you plan to control your life, co-operation can be part of that plan. You can charm others, especially parents, into doing things the way you want. You can impress others with your sense of responsibility and initiative, so that they will give you the authority to do what you want to do.
36. The author is primarily addressing _______.
A. parents of teenagers B. newspaper readers.
C. those who give advice to teenagers D. teenagers
37. The first paragraph is mainly about _______.
A. the teenagers’ criticism of their parents.
B. misunderstanding between teenagers and their parents.
C. the dominance of the parents over their children
D. the teenagers’ ability to deal with crises.
38. Teenagers tend to have strange clothes and hairstyles because they ______.
A. want to show their existence by creating a culture of their own.
B. have a strong desire to be leaders in style and taste.
C. have no other way to enjoy themselves better.
D. want to irritate their parents.
39. To improve parent-child relationships, teenagers are advised to be _____.
A. obedient B. responsible C. co-operative D. independent.