To Whom It May Concern:
My husband and I got married in 1965 and for the first ten years of our marriage I was very happy to stay home and raise our three children. Then four years ago, our youngest child went to school and I thought I might go back to work.
My husband was very supportive and helped me to make my decision. He emphasized all of the things I can do around the house, and said he thought I could be a great success in business.
After several weeks of job-hunting I found my present job, which is working for a small public relations firm. At first, my husband was very proud of me and would tell his friends , "My clever little wife can run that company she's working for."
But as his joking remark approached reality, my husband stopped talking to me about my job.I have received several promotions and pay increases , and I am now making more money than he is. I can buy my own clothes and a new car. Because of our combined incomes, my husband and I can do many things that we had always dreamed of doing , but we don't do these things because he is very unhappy.
We fight about little things and my husband is very critical of me in front of our friends. For the first time in our marriage, I think there is a possibility that our marriage may come to an end.
I love my husband very much, and I don't want him to feel inferior, but I also love my job.I think I can be a good wife and a working woman, but I don't know how .Can you give me some advice? Will I have to choose one or the other or can I keep both my husband and my new career?
Please help.
"Distressed"The letter was most probable written ________.
| A.in 1975 | B.around 1980 | C.four years ago | D.in 1965 |
Her husband ________ when she first found her present job.
| A.was very critical of her | B.felt disappointed |
| C.was proud of her | D.was happy but critical |
What does the underlined word "promotion" mean?
| A.scolding | B.criticism | C.prize | D.advancement |
As her income increased, ________.
| A.she found a gap emerged between her and her husband |
| B.she bought more clothes and a house |
| C.she did the many things she and her husband dreamed of |
| D.she felt very proud of herself |
It was the end of my first day as a waitress in a busy New York restaurant. My cap had gone away, and my feet hurt. The loaded plates I carried seemed to be heavier and heavier. Tired and discouraged, I didn’t seem able to do anything right. As I made out a check for a family with several children who had changed their ice-cream order a dozen times, I was ready to stop. Then the father smiled at me as he handed me my tip. “Well done,” he said, “you’ve looked after us really well.” Suddenly my tiredness disappeared. I smiled back, and later, when the manager asked me how I’d liked my first day, I said, “Fine!” Those few words of praise had changed everything. Praise is like sunlight to human spirit; we cannot flower and grow without it. And yet, most of us are only too ready to apply to others the cold criticism(批评), but are unwilling to give our fellows the warm sunshine of praise. Perhaps that is why one word of praise can bring such pleasure.
It’s strange how chary we are about praising. Perhaps it’s because few of us know how to accept it. It’s especially rewarding to give praise in areas in which effort generally goes unnoticed.An artist gets admired for a glorious picture,a cook for a perfect meal.But do you ever tell your laundry (洗衣房)manager how pleased you are when the shirts are done just right? In fact,to give praise costs the giver nothing but a moment’s thought and a moment’s effort.Which of the following can’t describe the writer’s situation before she got her tip?
| A.She was tired. | B.She was busy. |
| C.She was sorry. | D.She was confident. |
According to the passage,which of the following is least likely to be given praise?
| A.An artist. | B.A cook. |
| C.A waitress. | D.A laundry manager. |
The underlined word “chary” in Paragraph 2 means_________.
| A.careless | B.cautious |
| C.unwilling | D.greedy |
What is the best title of the passage?
| A.Why Do You Praise Others? |
| B.Why do You Criticize Others? |
| C.Be Generous to Give Others Praise! |
| D.Don’t Criticize Others! |
A new study shows students who write notes by hand during lectures perform better on exams than those who use laptops(笔记本电脑).
Students are increasingly using laptops for notetaking because of speed and legibility(清晰度).But the research has found laptop users are less able to remember and apply the concepts they have been taught.
Researchers performed experiments that aimed to find out whether using a laptop increased the tendency to make notes “mindlessly” by taking down word for word what the professors said.
In the first experiment,students were given either a laptop or pen and paper. They listened to the same lectures and were told to use their usual notetaking skills. Thirty minutes after the talk,they were examined on their ability to remember facts and on how well they understood concepts.
The researchers found that laptop users took twice as many notes as those who wrote by hand. However,the typists performed worse at remembering and applying the concepts. Both groups scored similarly when it came to memorizing facts.
The researchers' report said,“While more notes are beneficial,if the notes are taken mindlessly,as is more likely the case on a laptop,the benefit disappears.”
In another experiment aimed at testing longterm memory,students took notes as before but were tested a week after the lecture. This time,the students who wrote notes by hand performed significantly better on the exam.
These two experiments suggest that handwritten notes are not only better for immediate learning and understanding,but that they also lead to superior revision in the future. More and more students favour laptops for notetaking because they can ________.
| A.write more notes | B.digest concepts better |
| C.get higher scores | D.understand lectures better |
While taking notes,laptop users tend to be ________.
| A.skilful | B.mindless |
| C.thoughtful | D.tireless |
The author of the passage aims to ________.
| A.examine the importance of longterm memory |
| B.stress the benefit of taking notes by hand |
| C.explain the process of taking notes |
| D.promote the use of laptops |
The passage is likely to appear in ________.
| A.a newspaper advertisement | B.a computer textbook |
| C.a science magazine | D.a finance report |
In Europe, many people make friends between their countries through town twinning. Town or city twinning means two towns in different countries agree and decide to become “twins” with a sister city relationship.
The people find pen friends in the twin town. They exchange newspapers and stamps. The school teachers discuss teaching methods with the teachers in the twin town. Officials visit the twin town for celebrations. Ordinary people travel to the twin town, too, but not very often if it is far away.
Sometimes, schools even exchange their classes for two or three weeks! For example, German middle school students study for a while at the school in their twin town in Britain, staying with British families. A few months later, their British friends come to study in Germany.
Many British towns are so pleased with the results of the twinning that they set out to find more than one twin town.
Tonbridge, a small town in Kent, for example, has twin town in both Germany and France. Richmond near London has relationships with Germany, France and even a town in a Balkan country!
Town twinning can help make friends. It helps students improve their language skills, and also helps people to understand the differences between nations.Twin towns develop __________.
| A.between European countries and China |
| B.in the English-speaking countries only |
| C.in the same country |
| D.between different countries |
One of the advantages of town twinning is__________.
| A.to earn more money |
| B.to set up schools |
| C.to improve students’ language skills |
| D.to develop industry and agriculture |
Which is the best title for the passage?
| A.Town Twinning |
| B.Friendly Town |
| C.Exchange Teachers and Students |
| D.Peace and Understanding |
Who do you think was the most important woman of the past 100 years?
Jane Addams(1860~1935)
Addams helped the poor and worked for peace. She created shelters, education opportunities and services for people in need. In 1931, Addams became the first American woman to win the Noble Peace Prize.
Rachel Carson(1907~1964)
Rachel Carson was born in the rural river town of Springdale, Pennsylvania in America. The popular book Silent Spring by Rachel Carson in 1962 made people realize the dangers and the harmful effects of pollution on humans and on the world’s lake and oceans.
Angela Merkel(1954~)
In 2005, German chose Angela Merkel as their first woman head of the country. She had been a scientist in the past. As Germany ’leader, she has had an effect on the whole world.
Sandra Day O’Connor(1930~)
When Sandra Day O’Connor finished her class at Stanford Law School, in 1952, she could not find work because she was a woman. However, she became the first woman to join the US Supreme Court in 1981 after years of hard work.
Margaret Thatcher(1925~)
In 1979, Margaret Thatcher became Britain’s first woman Prime Minister. She served until 1990, which made her the first Britain leader to serve three terms in a row. Because of her high standards and strong will, people called her Britain’s Iron Lady.
Marie Curie(1867~1934)
Polish-born scientist Marie Curie discovered that some types of metal give off energy called radiation. Her research led to new medical treatments and arms. She received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903 and in Chemistry in 1911.Who once won the Nobel Prize?
| A.Jane Addams and Marie Curie. |
| B.Jane Addams and Margaret Thatcher. |
| C.Marie Curie and Angela Merkel. |
| D.Marie Curie and Rachel Carson. |
We can infer from the passage that Rachel Carson worked to ______.
| A.help the poor |
| B.spread geographic knowledge |
| C.protect the environment |
| D.protect the rights of women |
What do Angela Merkel and Margaret Thatcher have in common?
| A.Both of them were scientists before coming to power. |
| B.Both of them are the first woman head of their country. |
| C.Both of them are famous for being strict. |
| D.Both of them have worked for three terms. |
Who once failed to find a job?
| A.Jane Addams | B.Sandra Day O’Connor |
| C.Rachel Carson | D.Margaret Thatcher |
Parents are a child’s first teachers.But some parents never learned from good examples.In New York City, a nonprofit agency called Covenant House tries to help homeless young mothers become good parents.
The twelve or so teenagers who live at the shelter attend parenting classes four days a week.The class is called Mommy and Me.Teacher Delores Clemens is a mother of five and a grandmother.She teaches basic skills, like how to give a baby a bath and how to dress a baby depending on the season.
She remembers one student who learned from her mother not to pick up a crying baby.The mother said that would only make the child needy and overly demanding.Delores Clemens says, “that's not true.You have to hold your baby! He is crying for a reason.If you never pick him up, he's going to keep crying.Pick your baby up.Cuddle your baby.Hug him! And she started to do that.They just want a little cuddling and a little love.And it works!”
Delores Clemens says her students also learn how to be good mothers by letting themselves be mothered.Around three hundred fifty teenage mothers graduate from Covenant House's Mommy and Me class every year.
In class, with her baby son is Natasha.She lived on the streets.She is glad not only for the warmth and shelter of Covenant House.As she told reporter Adam Phillips, she is also glad for the help they offer in seeking a more secure life.
The World Health Organization says the United States has forty-one births for every one thousand girls age fifteen to nineteen.That is higher than other developed countries, as well as some developing ones.By comparison, northern neighbor Canada has fourteen births and southern neighbor Mexico has eighty-two.What is the text mainly about?
| A.Parents who are a child’s first teachers. |
| B.A class where teens learn mothering and are mothered. |
| C.A nonprofit agency that offers a more secure life. |
| D.A kind teacher who help homeless young mothers. |
Covenant Houses’ Mommy and Me class is intended to _____.
| A.help homeless young mothers become good parents |
| B.provide homeless young mothers with a warm shelter |
| C.help mothers in New York be good parents |
| D.teach some parents how to love their children |
What can we know about Delores Clemens from the text?
| A.She has a mother of five and a grandmother. |
| B.She thinks a crying baby should be picked up and hugged. |
| C.She teaches advanced skills on how to be good mothers. |
| D.She is very glad for the warmth and shelter of Covenant House. |
According to the World Health Organization, which country has the highest births for girls age fifteen to nineteen?
| A.Canada | B.the United States of America |
| C.Mexico | D.Britain |