In this age of Internet chat, videogames and reality television, there is no shortage of mindless activities to keep a child occupied. Yet, despite the competition, my 8-year-old daughter Rebecca wants to spend her leisure time writing short stories. She wants to enter one of her stories into a writing contest, a competition she won last year.
As a writer I know about winning contest, and about losing them. I know what it is like to work hard on a story only to receive a rejection slip from the publisher. I also know the pressures of trying to live up to a reputation created by previous victories. What if she doesn’t win the contest again? That’s the strange thing about being a parent. So many of our own past scars and dashed hopes can surface.
A revelation(启示) came last week when I asked her, “Don’t you want to win again?” “No,” she replied, “I just want to tell the story of an angel going to first grade.”
I had just spent weeks correcting her stories as she spontaneously(自发地) told them. Telling myself that I was merely an experienced writer guiding the young writer across the hall, I offered suggestions for characters, conflicts and endings for her tales. The story about a fearful angel starting first grade was quickly “guided” by me into the tale of a little girl with a wild imagination taking her first music lesson. I had turned her contest into my contest without even realizing it.
Staying back and giving kids space to grow is not as easy as it looks. Because I know very little about farm animals who use tools or angels who go to first grade, I had to accept the fact that I was co-opting(借用) my daughter’s experience.
While stepping back was difficult for me, it was certainly a good first step that I will quickly follow with more steps, putting myself far enough a way to give her room but close enough to help if asked. All the while I will be reminding myself that children need room to experiment, grow and find their own voices.
41．What do we learn from the first paragraph?
A．Children do find lots of fun in many mindless activities.
B．Rebecca is much too occupied to enjoy her leisure time.
C．Rebecca draws on a lot of online materials for her writing.
D．A lot of distractions compete for children’s time nowadays.
42．What did the author say about her own writing experience?
A．She did not quite live up to her reputation as a writer.
B．Her way to success was full of pains and frustrations.
C．She was constantly under pressure of writing more.
D．Most of her stories had been rejected by publishers.
43．Why did Rebecca want to enter this year’s writing contest?
A．She believed she possessed real talent for writing.
B．She was sure of winning with her mother’s help.
C．She wanted to share her stories with readers.
D．She had won a prize in the previous contest.
44．The author took great pains to refine her daughter’s stories because .
A．she believed she had the knowledge and experience to offer guidance
B．she did not want to disappoint Rebecca who needed her help so much
C．she wanted to help Rebecca realize her dreams of becoming a writer
D．she was afraid Rebecca’s imagination might run wild while writing
45．What’s the author’s advice for parents?
A．A writing career, though attractive, is not for every child to pursue.
B．Children should be allowed freedom to grow through experience.
C．Parents should keep an eye on the activities their kids engage in.
D．Children should be given every chance to voice their opinions.
Medalists of the 1948 London Olympic Games look back on their summer of victory.
SAMMY Lee, 91, U.S.
GOLD AND BRONZE, DIVING
I first had my Olympic dream at 12, when they held the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles. My father and I were at a grocery store, and I asked, “What are all the flags doing here?” He said, “We are having the Olympic Games. That’s where they honor the greatest athletes in the world.” I said, “Papa, someday I’m going to be an Olympic champ.”
Walking up the 10-meter platform, I thought to myself, “I’ve waited 16 years for this moment. Am I going to win?” So I prayed to God that I was most deserving of winning the Games.
DAVID BOND, 90, BRITAIN
GOLD, SAILING
During the war, I spent six years in Royal Air Force. I think in general, the 1948 Olympics meant very little to most people. We were too busy after the war to be worried about sport very much anyway.
Our team had about six weeks before the Olympics down at Torquay and we went out sailing every day.
Winning gold was quite something. It was nice to stand on the platform with lots of people cheering. We celebrated by going to a big dance.
MICHAEL LAPAGE, 88, BRITAIN
SILVER, ROWING
I started rowing when I was 14. I joined the navy in 1942. In 1945 the war came to an end and I started rowing again.
In 1948 we were still on rations (配给供应): 4 oz. of red meat a week. But the United States had all the meat they wanted. They were the favorites to win.
On the day of the final, we led the Americans at the start, but their stronger staying power took them through to win. There were no ribbons on the medals, so we just showed them round the family.
THOMAS GODWIN, 91, BRITAIN
BRONZE, CYCLING
At 14 I left school and got a job delivering groceries on a bicycle, which excited my interest in cycling. When the war broke out, I volunteered but was held back, so I continued riding.
After my team won our bronze medals, we went home just round the corner and had a sit-down and a chat and a laugh. It was a different world. Money was never, never thought about. According to the passage, Sammy Lee ___________.
| A．was 28 when he attended the 1948 Olympics |
| B．never thought he could win medals in diving |
| C．found that he has a talent for sports at age 12 |
| D．prepared for the 1948 Olympics for 16 years |
Michael Lapage blamed his team’s loss of the gold medal on their ___________.
| A．weak will | B．poor skill |
| C．poor nutrition | D．hurried preparation |
What did David Bond and Thomas Godwin have in common?
| A．They both took part in a team event. |
| B．A lot of money was awarded to them. |
| C．The 1948 Olympics meant little to them. |
| D．They both served in the army during World War II. |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Long-lived medalists | B．The 1948 Olympics |
| C．Famous athletes | D．Great in 1948 |
Albert Szent-Gyorgyi was born in Budapest on September 16, 1893. In 1911 he entered his uncle’s laboratory where he studied until the outbreak of World War One, when he joined the army. He served on the Italian and Russian fronts, and he was permitted to leave the army in 1917 after being wounded in action. He completed his studies in Budapest before he went to Hamburg for a two-year course in physical chemistry. In 1920 he became an assistant at a university in Leiden, the Netherlands and from 1922 to 1926 he worked with H. J. Hamburger at the Physiology Institute, Groningen, the Netherlands.
In 1926, Szent-Gyorgyi was ready to end his own life after an embarrassing problem in his career. The scientist, thirty-two, had written a paper and handed it to his boss for approval to publish. His boss threw it in the dustbin. Concluding his life was a failure, the young researcher quit. Unable to support his wife and child, he sent them home to her parents. His final wish was to attend one last scientific meeting, to be among scientists, to have one last good time. So he went to the 1926 International Physiological Society Congress in Sweden.
Sitting in the audience, lost in self-pity, Szent-Gyorgyi listened to the president of the society, Sir Frederick Gowland Hopkins, refer to the fine work of a researcher: Szent-Gyorgyi! After the speech, collecting his courage, he introduced himself to Hopkins. The great man invited the young scientist to Cambridge to do further work.
Szent-Gyorgyi’s life changed. He discovered the oxidation-preventing (防氧化的) action of vitamin C. He won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1937. He accounted for his success by saying that discovery is seeing what everyone else has seen but thinking what nobody else has thought.Which of the following is the correct order of the events relevant to Szent-Gyorgyi?
a. finished his studies in Budapest
b. served during World War One
c. worked with Hopkins
d. studied in Hamburg
| A．b, c, a, d | B．b, a, d, c | C．a, c, d, b | D．a, b, d, c |
Why did Szent-Gyorgyi want to end his own life in 1926?
| A．His pride was hurt by his boss. |
| B．He was not satisfied with his paper. |
| C．He couldn’t support his family. |
| D．His boss stopped him attending a conference. |
The passage is organized in the pattern of _____________.
| A．cause and effect |
| B．comparison and contrast |
| C．time and events |
| D．definition and classification |
根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
How to Make Friends
Friendship is a very important human relationship and everyone needs good friends. Good friendship has many benefits. It offers companionship, improves self-worth and promotes good health. There are times in our lives such as when we have recently moved into a new town, or changed our jobs or schools. Such changes often leaves us without a friend 51 . But for many of us the process is difficult and requires courage. Below are some helpful suggestions on how to make and keep friends.
Associate with others.
The first step to making friends is associating with other people. You can go to public places to meet new people. Besides, you will need to make yourself known by becoming an active member of such places.
Start a conversation
Starting a conversation is the second most important step in making new friends.You can always start the conversation. Being able to make small talk is a very useful skill in relating with other people.
Choosing friends with common interests is important in building friendship as these interests would always bring you and your friend together, Hanging out will always be a pleasant experience.
Let it grow.
It is a good thing to stay in touch. However, try not to press your new friend with calls, messages or visits as this would likely wear him or her out and finally you may lose your friend. . The best friendships are the ones that grow naturally.
Enjoy your friendship
The best way to enjoy your friendship is to allow your friends to be themselves. Try not to change them from who they are to what you want them to be. Become the kind of friend you will want your friend to be to you.
| A． Be cheerful. |
| B． Do things together. |
| C． Do not wait to be spoken to. |
| D． Try not to find fault with your friends. |
E. Making new friends comes easy for some people.
F. For a friendship to develop you need to stay in touch.
G. So you will need to give your friend time to react to you.
We can offer you a place at one of the best universities inBritain. We’ll provide you with a choice of 150 first-class courses developed especially to enable you to study in your own time. All of these courses are backed by the Open University’s own special study method — OU Support Open Learning.
We’ll give you the support of a personal teacher, and the chance to meet your fellow students. You can study for a diploma, a degree or a postgraduate degree. Subjects available include: Computing, Business Management, Technology, Modern Languages, Social Sciences, English Law, Arts, Science, Mathematics, Education and Health & Social Welfare.
Whether you want to study to improve your career prospects or for your own personal interest, there’s almost certainly a course for you. If you haven’t studied for a while, we will help you get started. No previous training or degrees are required. All that is required is a willingness to learn. The OU is great value for money and you can pay monthly.
The OU leads the world in the use of new technology for learning, and a number of courses provide source material on CD-ROM. What else can the Open University offer you?
☆The OU is in the top 15% of all UK universities for teaching quality.
☆25% of all British MBAs come from the OU.
☆Over 30,000 employers have offered chances for their staff to study OU courses.
☆40,000 OU students study online from their home.
☆There are 9-month courses and diplomas as well as degrees.
Send for your free instructions now.
Post to: The Open University,PO Box 625,MiltonKeynes MK76 AA, U99LX.The purpose of writing this passage is to _________.
| A．introduce the best university inBritain |
| B．let the readers know the OU Support Open Learning |
| C．describe the new technology for learning in the Open University |
| D．attract students to the Open University |
If you want to study in the Open University, you need ________.
| A．a good study habit |
| B．some previous training |
| C．a willingness to learn |
| D．a degree from a good university |
The Open University can offer you all of the following EXCEPT ______.
| A．an MBA degree |
| B．high-quality teaching |
| C．a computer so you can study online from home |
| D．9-month courses and diplomas as well as degrees |
What makes a gift special? Is it the price you see on the gift receipt? Or is it the look on the recipient's face when they receive it that determines the true value? What gift is worth the most?
This Christmas I was debating what to give my father. My dad is a hard person to buy for because he never wants anything. I pulled out my phone to read a text message from my mom saying that we were leaving for Christmas shopping for him when I came across a message on my phone that I had locked. The message was from my father. My eyes fell on a photo of a flower taken in Wyoming. and underneath a poem by William Blake. The flower, a lone dandelion standing against the bright blue sky, inspired me. My dad had been reciting those words to me since I was a kid. That may even be the reason why I love writing. I decided that those words would be my gift to my father.
I called back. I told my mom to go without me and that I already created my gift. I sent the photo of the cream-colored flower to my computer and typed the poem on top of it. As I was arranging the details another poem came to mind. The poem was written by Edgar Allan Poe; my dad recited it as much as he did the other. I typed that out as well and searched online for a background to the words of it. The poem was focused around dreaming, and after searching I found the perfect picture. The image was painted with blues and greens and purples, twisting together to create the theme and wonder of a dream. As I watched both poems passing through the printer, the white paper coloring with words that shaped my childhood. I felt that this was a gift that my father would truly appreciate.
Christmas soon arrived. The minute I saw the look on my dad's face as he unwrapped those swirling black letters carefully placed in a cheap frame, I knew I had given the perfect gift.The idea for a special gift began to form when the author was______.
| A．doing shopping | B．having a debate |
| C．reading a message | D．leaving for Wyoming |
The author's inspiration for the gift came from_____.
| A．a photo of a flower | B．a story about a kid |
| C．a call from the mother | D．a text about Christmas |
The underlined word "it" in Paragraph 3 refers to a poem by_____.
| A．the father | B．the author |
| C．William Blake | D．Edgar Allan Poe |
What is the main purpose of the passage?
| A．To show how to design images for gifts. |
| B．To suggest making gifts from one's heart. |
| C．To explain how computers help create gifts. |
| D．To describe the gifts the author has receive |