They crossed in front of me as I was driving out of the store parking lot. My first reaction was anger at being delayed for a whole ten seconds. I quickly became patient when I realised that this was an elderly couple.
The man leaned on his wife who walked in front of him. He not only used her for support but it was obvious that he was blind. The two of them worked as one---each needing the other to function in this fast-changing world.
That little example of true strength changed my whole personal perception(理解) of life that day. Suddenly I wasn’t so mad about having to work a few extra hours on Saturdays. I had my strength, and I was still relatively young.
That picture of those two elderly people walking with dignity and strength stayed with me the entire week. My life wasn’t so bad after all. I had my health and a good job. I had a wonderful, supportive wife. I started to think---not only was I lucky to have it all, but so was that wonderful old couple, who, despite the trials and sufferings of a long life, still had the love and support of each other to carry them through this world.
There are so many people out there just like that couple. My wife and I sometimes picture ourselves in our old age, walking arm-in-arm into the sunset. That image always gives us a warm feeling of comfort. Just remember, none of us would be here if it wasn’t for our elders. We should all have a little extra time and patience when it comes to helping our elder friends.When the author was about to drive away, the couple __________________.
| A．got in his way | B．hit his car | C． entered the store | D．asked him for help |
After he saw the couple, the author would _________________.
| A．drive at a high speed | B．seldom think of his wife |
| C．be impolite to the blind | D．spend less time complaining |
What did the author think of the couple?
| A．They lived a happier life than he. |
| B．They didn’t live a life without hardships. |
| C．They were admirable for their lasting love. |
| D．They won respect by walking together. |
From the passage, we learn _______________________.
| A．the author hated working on Saturdays |
| B．the author was happy with his wife |
| C．old couples were advised to walk in the sunset |
| D．many people like that couple are blind |
Not all memories are sweet. Some people spend all their lives trying to forget bad experiences. Violence and traffic accidents can leave people with terrible physical and emotional scars. Often they relive these experiences.
Now American researchers think they are close to developing a pill, which help people forget bad memories. The pill is designed to be taken immediately after a frightening experience. They hope it might reduce, or possibly erase the effect of painful memories.
In November, experts tested a drug on people in the US and France. The drug stops the body releasing chemicals that fix memories in the brain. So far, the research has suggested that only the emotional effects of memories may be reduced, not that the memories are erased.
The research has caused a great deal of argument. Some think it is a bad idea, while others support it. Supporters say it could lead to pills that prevent or treat soldiers’ troubling memories after wars.
They say that there are many people who suffer from terrible memories. “Some memories can ruin people’s lives. They come back to you when you don’t want to have them in a daydream or nightmare. They usually come with very painful emotions,” said Roger Pitman, a professor of psychiatry(精神病学)at Harvard Medical School. “This could relieve（减轻）a lot of that suffering.”
But those who are against the research say that changing memories is very dangerous because memories give us our identity. They also help us avoid the mistakes in the past. “All of us can think of bad events in our lives that were horrible at the time but make us who we are. I am not sure we’d want to wipe those memories out.” said Rebecca Dresser, a medical ethicist.What’s the main idea of this passage?
| A．People often suffer from bad memories. |
| B．American researchers are trying to develop a pill. |
| C．Forget bad memories , and be happy. |
| D．The research has caused a heated argument. |
The underlined word “it” in Paragraph 4 refers to “_____”.
| A．the new drug |
| B．the research into the drug |
| C．the bad memory |
| D．the chemical in the drug |
Which of the following is NOT the opinion of the opponents(反对者)?
| A．Our memories give us our identity. |
| B．The memories help human avoid mistakes of the past. |
| C．The drug should be used in only very serious cases. |
| D．People may not be sure whether they want to wipe the memories out. |
Children of America are getting fatter every time. 13% of the children at the age of 6 to 11 are overweight(too fat).
When we look at children's lives today in the USA, we can see the root(origin)of the problem--sports and foods. Young children like sports but they don't have enough around the start of high school. That's especially true for girls. Meanwhile, to make matters worse, schools are becoming much more interested in sports teams. So children are not able to get enough exercise just when they need it the most. There is also the food problem. Children get most of their calories(热量) at restaurants or parties or somewhere else away from home. They often drink too many Cokes. Parents have a lot of fears about telling a child he needs to lose weight-- they are afraid it will push a child into an eating disorder. Some parents fear that pushing children to lose weight means their children will think they're not good enough, or not loved because of their weight. Parents need to come to terms with the fact that the family is very important to the children. The most useful program for children is called "family weight control". This is good news. Mom and Dad, even if they don't have weight problems, have to go through the same program as their children and learn how to get some exercise and how to eat healthily.Why are American children getting fatter? The writer thinks_______.
| A．parents also have weight problem as their children |
| B．children drink too many Cokes |
| C．schools are more interested in sports teams |
| D．children have less exercise and eat unhealthily |
The writer wants to tell parents that_______.
| A．overweight children are not loved by people |
| B．children are afraid to lose weight when they have to |
| C．family members can help overweight children a lot |
| D．girls don't like to exercise |
Which of the following is NOT the root of overweight problem? _______.
| A．Higher-calorie. | B．Less sports. |
| C．Family weight control. | D．higher-fat foods. |
The writer thinks if mother or father is on the same program as their children, _______.
| A．"family weight control" will be successful |
| B．it will make the children eat much more |
| C．their children will not eat better |
| D．parents will feel sorry about themselves |
One is not born able to speak a language. One is born able to make a noise. I have heard babies cry in America and in China. I can’t tell any difference. But when I hear someone from America speak English and hear someone speak Chinese, I can tell you there are a lot of differences.
I believe a common(普遍的) problem with Chinese students’ learning English is that they were not taught to think in English. They have an idea spoken in English and want to translate the idea into Chinese, then they think in Chinese of the proper reply and translate it into English. After a long period of speaking the language, one begins to think in the foreign language naturally. You will learn faster if you begin to think in English at the very beginning of your study. Many students ask me: What can I do to improve my spoken English?
My reply is: The more English you speak, the better English you will speak. There are many things you can do to improve your spoken English. Of course, the best way is to live where English is spoken as a language of the country.The cries of American and Chinese babies are _______.
| A．different | B．the same |
| C．not like each other | D．like each other |
The underlined sentence (in Paragraph 2) means that______.
| A．some teachers didn’t teach students to think in English |
| B．teachers never gave the students the way of learning English |
| C．students didn’t remember the way teachers taught them |
| D．teachers didn’t want their students to think in English |
The underlined word “they” (in Paragraph 2) refers to “_____”.
| A．Chinese students | B．English students |
| C．Chinese teachers | D．English teachers |
According to the article, which of the following is TRUE?
| A．You must think in English all the time. |
| B．You should always translate English into Chinese. |
| C．After speaking English for a long time, you may probably think in English naturally(自然地). |
| D．The best way of learning English is to live in America. |
Tom was a clever boy, but his parents were poor, so he had to work in his spare time and during his holidays to pay for his education. In spite of this, he managed to get to the university, but it was so expensive to study there that during the holiday he found it necessary to get two jobs at the same time so as to make enough money to pay for his studies.
One summer he managed to get a job in a butcher’s shop(肉店)during the day-time, and another in a hospital at night. In the shop, he learnt to cut meat quite nicely, so the butcher often left him to do all the serving （服务）while he went to the back room to do the accounts(账目). In the hospital , on the other hand, he was , of course , allowed （允许）to do the simplest jobs, like helping to lift people and to carry them from one part of the hospital to another. Both at the butcher’s shop and at the hospital, Tom had to wear white clothes.
One evening at the hospital, Tom had to carry a woman from her bed to the place where she was to have an operation. The woman was already feeling frightened at the thought of the operation before he came to get her, but when she saw Tom, that finished her.
“No! No!” she cried． “Not my butcher! I won’t be operated on by my butcher!” and fainted away(昏厥).Tom made enough money by ________.
| A．studying in the university |
| B．working in a butcher’s shop |
| C．doing two jobs |
| D．cutting meat well |
Tom was a student, but at the same time he was__________.
| A．a butcher and a doctor |
| B．a manager and a doctor |
| C．an assistant（助手） |
| D．a manager |
The woman patient recognized Tom because ____________.
| A．he was wearing white clothes |
| B．he had sold meat to her |
| C．he was now working in the hospital |
| D．he was going to operate on her |
When she saw Tom, that finished her, the sight of Tom _________.
| A．plunged her into deep sorrow |
| B．made her decide not to have an operation |
| C．broke her heart |
| D．took all her strength and courage away |
In a great many cities, hundreds of people ride bikes to work every day． In New York, some bike riders have even formed a group called Bike for a Better City． They declare that if more people rode bikes to work, there would be fewer automobiles in the downtown part of the city and so less dirty air from car engines．
For several years, this group had been trying to get the city government to help bike riders． For example, they want the city to draw special lanes(车道) for bikes on some of the main streets, because when bike riders must use the same lanes as cars there are accidents． Bike for a Better City feels that if there were special lanes, more people would use bikes．
But no bike lanes have been drawn． Not everyone thinks it is a good idea—they say it will slow traffic． Some store owners on the main streets don’t like the idea—they say that if there is less traffic, they will have less business．
The city government has not yet decided what to do． It wants to keep everyone happy． On weekends, Central Park—the largest place open ground in New York— is closed to cars, and the roads may be used by bikes only．In New York, a group of bike riders__________．
| A．are keeping practicing for health |
| B．have no cars of their own |
| C．are complaining there are not enough buses |
| D．are trying to settle the problem of air pollution |
The bike riders suggest that __________．
| A．bikes should be used instead of cars |
| B．bike lanes should be drawn |
| C．fewer buses or cars should be used |
| D．the number of special lanes should be decreased |
The advantage of the special lanes is that__________．
| A．they will make cars and buses run slowly |
| B．they will make it easier for bike riders to go to parks |
| C．they will make the city more beautiful |
| D．they will prevent accidents |