Sixteen years ago, Eileen Doyle's husband, an engineer, took his four children up for an early morning cup of tea, packed a small case and was never seen or heard of again. Eileen was astonished and in a state of despair. They had been a happy family and, as far as she knew, there had been nothing wrong with their marriage.
Every day of the year a small group of men and women quietly pack a few
belongings and without so much as a note or a good--bye close the front door for the last time, leaving their debts, their worries and their confused families behind them.Last year, more than 1,200 men and nearly as many women were reported missing
from home--the highest in 15 years. Many did return home within a year, but others
rejected the past completely and are now living a new life somewhere under a
different identity.
To those left behind, this form of desertion is a terrible blow to their pride and self-confidence. Even the finality of death might be preferable. At least it does not imply rejection or failure. Worse than that, people can be left with an unfinished marriage, not knowing whether they will have to wait seven years before they are free to start a fresh life.
Clinical psychologist Paul Brown believes most departures of this kind to be well
planned rather than impulsive. "It's typical of the kind of personality which seems
able to ignore other people's pain and difficulties. Running away, like killing yourself,is a highly aggressive act. By creating an absence the people left behind feel guilty,upset and empty."
51. When her husband left home, Eileen Doyle________.
A. could not forgive him for taking the children
B. had been expecting it to happen for some time
C. could not understand why
D. blamed herself for what had happened
52. Most people who leave their families behind them___________.
A. do so without warning
B. do so because of their debts
C. come back immediately
D. change their names
53. Some people would even prefer the death to the running away of their spouse
Because_________.
A. their spouse would feel no pain during the death
B. their spouse death would not blow their pride and confidence
C. a desertion would not bring a feeling of rejection or failure
D. their spouse death would make them feel less painful
54. Which might be the best tire of the passage?
A. Broken Marriage B. New life after Desertion
C. A New Social Problem D. Desertion and its Influence
55. What can be inferred from the passage?
A. Many people choose to leave home quietly because they hate their family.
B. Paul Brown regards leaving home as an act of selfishness.
C. Those who are left behind will lose confidence and won't marry again.
D. Eileen's husband, together with his four kids, were probably killed in an accident.
Everyone looks forward to progress, whether in one's personal life or in the general society. Progress indicates a person's ability to change the way he is living at the moment. Progress must lead a better way of doing things. All these, however, remains true only in so far as people want to accept technology and move forward by finding new and more efficient ways of doing things.
However, at the back of the minds of many people, especially those who missed the "good old days", efficiency comes with a price. When communication becomes efficient, people are able to contact one another no matter where they are and at whatever time they wish to. The click of a button allows people miles apart to talk or to see each other without even leaving their homes. With the communication gadgets, such as mobile phones and ipads, people often do not take the effect to visit one another personally. A personal visit carries with it the additional feature of having to be in the person's presence for as long as the visit lasts. We cannot unnecessarily excuse our selves or turn the other person off.
With efficiency also comes mass production. Such is the nature of factories and the success of industrialization today. Factories have improved efficiency. Unskillful tasks are left to machines and products are better made and produced with greater accuracy than any human hand could ever have done. However, with the improvements in efficiency also comes the loss of the personal touch when making these products. For example, many handcrafts(手工艺品) are now produced in a factory. Although this means that supply is better able to increase demand, now that the supply is quick and efficient, the demand might fall because mass production lowers the quality of the handicraft and it is difficult to find unique designs on each item.
Nevertheless, we must not commit the mistake of analyzing progress only from one point of view. In fact, progress has allowed tradition to keep up. It is only with progress and the invention of new technology that many old products can be brought back to their old state. New technology is required for old products to stay old.
It is people's attitude towards progress that causes the type of influence that technology has on society. Technology is flexible. There is no fixed way of making use of it. Everything depends on people's attitude. The worst effects of progress will fall on those who are unable to rethink their attitudes and views of society. When we accept progress and adapt it to suit our needs, a new "past" is created.
| 1. |
According to Paragraph 1, progress can benefit people when they are willing to.
|
| 2. |
The underlined word "gadgets" is closest in meaning to.
|
| 3. |
The author explains "efficiency comes with a price" by.
|
| 4. |
Compared with home-made handicrafts, machine made products.
|
| 5. |
What can be learned about technology from Paragraph 4?
|
| 6. |
What can be concluded from the last paragraph?
|
Close your eyes for a minute and imagine what life would be like if you had a hundred dollars less. Also imagine what it would be like spending the rest of your life with you eyes closed. Imagine having to read this page, not with your eyes but with your finger-tips.
With existing medical knowledge and skills, two-thirds of the world's 42 million blind should not have to suffer. Unfortunately, rich countries posses most of this knowledge, while developing countries do not.
ORBIS is an international non-profit organization which operates the world's only flying teaching eye hospital. ORBIS intends to help fight blindness worldwide. Inside a DC-8 aircraft, there is a fully-equipped teaching hospital with television studio and classroom. Doctors are taught the latest techniques of bringing sight back to people there. Project ORBIS also aims at promoting peaceful cooperation(合作) among countries.
ORBIS tries to help developing countries by providing training during three-week medical programs. ORBIS has taught sight-saving techniques to over 35,000 doctors and nurses, who continue to cure tens of thousands of blind people every year. ORBIS has conducted 17 plane programs is China so far. For the seven to ten million blind in China ORBIS is planning to do more for them. At the moment an ORBIS is working on a long-term plan to develop a training center and to provide eye care service to Shanxi Province. ORBIS needs your help to continue their work and free people from blindness.
For just US$38,you can help one person see; for $380 you can bring sight to 10 people; $1,300 helps teach a doctor new skills; and for $13,000 you can provide a training programme for a group of doctors who can make thousands of blind people see again. Your money can open their eyes to the world. Please help ORBIS improve the quality of life for so many people less fortunate than ourselves.
| 1. |
The first paragraph is intended to.
|
| 2. |
What do we learn about existing medical knowledge and skills in the world?
|
| 3. |
ORRIS aims to help the blind by.
|
| 4. |
What does the author try to do in the last paragraph?
|
| 5. |
What can be the best title for the passage?
|
HOLIDAY FUN AT THE POWERHOUSE
500 HARRIS STREET ULTIMO ·TELEPHONE (02)9270111
Join in the holiday fun at the powerhouse this month linked to our new exhibition, Evolution & Revolution: Chinese dress 1700s to now. DON’T FORGET our other special event, the Club Med Circus School which is part of the Circus(马戏团)!150 years of circus in Australia exhibition experience!
Chinese Folk Dancing: Colorful Chinese dance and musical performances by The Chinese Folk Dancing School of Sydney. Dances include: the Golden and the Chinese drum dance. A feature will be the Qin dynasty Emperor’s count dance. Also included is a show of face painting for Beijing opera performances.
Sunday 29 June and Wednesday 2 July in the Turbine Hall, at 11.30 am & 1.30 pm.
Australian Chinese Children’s Arts Theatre: Well-known children’s play experts from Shanghai leas this dynamic youth group. Performance includes Chinese fairy tales and plays.
Thursday 3 to Sunday 6 July in the Turbine Hall, at 11.30 am & 1.30 pm.
Chinese Youth League: A traditional performing arts group featuring performance highlights such as Red scarf and Spring flower dances, and a musician playing Er Hu.
Sunday 6 to Tuesday 8 July in the Turbine Hall, 11.30 am to 1.30 pm.
Kids Activity : Make a Paper Horse: Young children make a paper horse cut-out. (The horse is a frequent theme in Chinese painting, including a kind of advancement.) Suitable for ages 8-12 years.
Sunday 28 June to Tuesday 8 July in the Turbine Hall, 12.30 pm to 1.00 pm.
Club Med Circus School: Learn circus skills, including the trapeze, tramp lining and magic. Note only for children over 5. There are 40 places available in each 1 hour session and these must be booked at the front desk, level 4, on the day.
Enjoy unlimited free visits and many other benefits by becoming a Family member of the Powerhouse. Our family memberships cover two adults and all children under the age of 16years at the one address.
Members receive Powerline, our monthly magazine, discounts in the shops and restaurants, as well as free admission to the Museum. All this for as little as $50, 00 a year! Call (02)9217 0600 for more details.When can you watch the Chinese drum dance?
| A.On July 2. | B.On July 3. |
| C.On July 6. | D.On July 8. |
To learn the magic tricks, you can go to .
| A.Kids Activity. | B.Chinese Youth League. |
| C.Club Med Circus School. | D.Children’s Arts Theatre. |
What is required if you want to enjoy free visits to the Museum?
| A.Calling (02)92170600. | B.Gaining family membership. |
| C.Coming for the holiday fun. | D.Paying powerline $50.00 a year. |
What is the main purpose of the text?
| A.To attract visitors. | B.To present schedules. |
| C.To report the performances. | D.To teach kids Chinese arts. |
Larry was on another of his underwater expeditions(探险)but this time, it was different. He decided to take his daughter along with him. She was only ten years old. This would be her first trip with her father on what he had always been famous for.
Larry first began diving when he was his daughter’s age. Similarly, his father had taken him along on one of his expeditions. Since then, he had never looked back. Larry started out by renting diving suits from the small diving shop just along the shore. He had hated them. They were either too big or too small. Then, there was the instructor. He gave him a short lesson before allowing him into the water with his father. He had made an exception. Larry would never have been able to go down without at least five hours of theory and another similar number of hours on practical lessons with a guide. Children his age were not even allowed to dive.
After the first expedition, Larry’s later diving adventures only got better and better. There was never a dull moment. In his black and blue suit and with an oxygen tank fastened on his back, Larry dived from boats into the middle of the ocean. Dangerous areas did not prevent him from continuing his search. Sometimes, he was limited to a cage underwater but that did not bother him. At least, he was still able to take photographs of the underwater creatures.
Larry’s first expedition without his father was in the Cayman Islands. There were numerous diving spots in the area and Larry was determined to visit all of them. Fortunately for him, a man offered to take him around the different Spots for free. Larry didn’t even know what the time was, how many spots he dived into or how many photographs he had taken. The diving spots afforded such a wide array of fish and sea creatures that Larry saw more than thirty varieties of creatures.
Larry looked at his daughter. She looked as excited as he had been when he was her age. He hoped she would be able to continue the family tradition. Already, she looked like she was much braver than had been then. This was the key to a successful underwater expedition.In what way was this expedition different for Larry?
| A.His daughter had grown up. |
| B.He had become a famous diver. |
| C.His father would dive with him. |
| D.His daughter would dive with him. |
What can be inferred from Paragraph2?
| A.Larry had some privileges. |
| B.Larry liked the rented diving suits. |
| C.Divers had to buy diving equipment. |
| D.Ten-year-old children were permitted to dive. |
Why did Larry have to stay in a cage underwater sometimes?
| A.To protect himself from danger. |
| B.To dive into the deep water. |
| C.To admire the underwater view. |
| D.To take photo more conveniently. |
What can be learned from the underlined sentence?
| A.Larry didn’t wear a watch. |
| B.Larry was not good at math. |
| C.Larry had a poor memory. |
| D.Larry enjoyed the adventure. |
What did Larry expect his daughter to do?
| A.Become a successful diver. |
| B.Make a good diving guide. |
| C.Take a lot of photo underwater. |
| D.Have longer hours of training. |


Why is June 6, 1990 a special day for Mommy?
| A.Her dream of being a mother came true. |
| B.She found her origin from her Chinese mother. |
| C.She wrote the letter to her daughter. |
| D.Her female line was well linked. |
How does Mommy feel about her being given away?
| A.It is bitter and disappointing. |
| B.It is painful but understandable. |
| C.She feels sorry but sympathetic. |
| D.She feels hurt and angry. |
What does “I stood out like a sore thumb” in Paragraph 5 mean?
| A.I walked clumsily out of pains. |
| B.I was not easy to love due to jealousy. |
| C.I was impatient out of fear. |
| D.I looked different from others. |
What can be inferred from Mommy’s Anglo family life?
| A.She used to experience an identity crisis. |
| B.She fought against her American identity. |
| C.She forgot the pains of her early years. |
| D.She kept her love for Asia from childhood. |
Why did Mommy name her daughter “Shao-ming?”
| A.To match her own birth-name. |
| B.To brighten the lives of the family. |
| C.To identify her with Chinese origin. |
| D.To justify her pride in Chinese culture. |
By “Your past is more complete than mine,” Mommy means ________.
| A.her past was completed earlier than Shao-ming’s |
| B.Shao-ming has got motherly care and a sense of roots |
| C.her mother didn’t comfort her the way she did Shao-ming |
| D.her past was spent brokenly, first in Asia, then in the US |