This year some twenty-three hundred teen-agers (young people aged from 13-19)from all over the world will spend about ten months in U. S. homes. They will attend U. S. schools, meet U. S. teen-agers, and form impressions of the real America. At the same time, about thirteen hundred American teen-agers will go to other countries to learn new languages and gain a new understanding of the rest of the world.
Here is a two-way student exchange in action. Fred, nineteen, spent last year in Germany with George's family. In turn, George's son Mike spent a year in Fred's home in America.
Fred, a lively young man, knew little German when he arrived, but after two months' study, the language began to come to him. School was completely different from what he had expected --much harder. Students rose respectfully when the teacher entered the room. They took fourteen subjects instead of the six that are usual in the United States. There were almost no outside activities.
Family life, too, was different. The father's word was law, and all activities were around the family rather than the individual(个人). Fred found the food too simple at first. Also, he missed having a car.
"Back home, you pick up some friends in a car and go out and have a good time. In Germany, you walk, but you soon learn to like it."
At the same time, in America, Mike, a friendly German boy, was also forming his idea. "I suppose I should criticize American schools", he says. "It is far too easy by our level. But I have to say that I like it very much. In Germany we do nothing but study. Here we take part in many outside activities. I think that maybe your schools are better in training for citizens(公民). There ought to be some middle ground between the two. " This year _____ teen-agers will take part in the exchange programme between America and other countries.
A.twenty three hundred | B.thirteen hundred |
C.over three thousand | D.less than two thousand |
The whole exchange programme is mainly to _____ .
A.help teen-agers in other countries know the real America. |
B.send students in America to travel in Germany |
C.let students learn something about other countries |
D.have teen-agers learn new languages |
Fred and Mike agreed that _____ .
A.American food tasted better than German food |
B.German schools were harder than American schools |
C.Americans and Germans were both friendly |
D.There were more cars on the streets in America |
What is particular in American schools is that _____ .
A.there is some middle ground between the two teaching buildings |
B.there are a lot of after-school activities |
C.students usually take fourteen subjects in all |
D.students go outside to enjoy themselves in a car |
After experiencing the American school life, Mike thought _____ .
A.a better education should include something good from both America and Germany |
B.German schools trained students to be better citizens |
C.American schools were not as good as German schools |
D.the easy life in the American school was more helpful to students |
My 17yearold daughter went off to college and having her away from home brought back memories of watching Peter Pan when she was little. In the classic TV production,one scene in particular impressed me: when Mrs. Darling puts her children into bed. As she turns off the last of the night lights,she takes one last look at the bedroom and says,“Dear night lights,protect my sleeping children.” As a mother,I know how much she loves her children.
It has been several weeks since we took our daughter to college and she seems to be adjusting (适应) well after a short period of homesickness. For us,though,it’s another story. Like most parents,I love checking in on my children at night. But now she’s gone,and I find nighttimes the hardest. I miss her most at night.
In my neighborhood,most of the parents whose kids are off to college are dealing with similar melancholy. My husband is filled with anxiety. One friend talked about getting this sick feeling in her stomach as she prepared for the college drop-off We complained that many of us were too busy to truly enjoy being with our children while we had them.
For us moms,seeing Toy Story 3 only made the sadness worse as we watched the character Andy,who is the same age as our kids,say goodbye to his childhood as he prepares to leave for college. And it’s not just “first-time” parents like me. Two moms who have kids already well into college said the separation didn’t get any easier.“You feel like something has been taken away from inside you,” said one of them.
I imagine things will get easier with time,especially as I see my daughter adjust to college life. Meanwhile,as I keep my cellphone close to me in bed and text my daughter goodnight and sweet dreams every night,I like to think at messages serve as a night light that keeps her safe.The writer was deeply impressed by the scene in Peter Pan because ________.
A.she watched the scene with her daughter |
B.the scene was very exciting and interesting |
C.the scene taught her and her daughter a good lesson |
D.the scene showed a mother’s deep love for her children |
After her daughter went to college,the writer ________.
A.didn’t get used to the change for a long time |
B.often cried as she missed her daughter so much |
C.realized she hadn’t done enough for her daughter |
D.failed to have a good sleep every night |
What is the underlined word “melancholy” in Paragraph 3 similar in meaning to?
A.Happiness. |
B.Anger. |
C.Sadness. |
D.Excitement. |
According to the last paragraph,why did the writer keep her cellphone close to her in bed?
A.To call her daughter any time. |
B.To wait for her daughter’s calls. |
C.To say good night to her daughter. |
D.To wait for her daughter’s messages. |
Almost everyone feels sleepy sometimes during the daytime. Being sleepy may get in the way of your daily work,childcare,and even activities for fun. Here are some ways to improve nighttime sleep and avoid daytime sleepiness.
1.Get adequate nighttime sleep.
That may sound obvious,but many of us cut down an hour or two off our sleep time in the morning or at night to do other things. Most adults need seven to nine hours a night,and teenagers usually need a full nine hours. Block out eight or nine hours for sleep every night.
2.Keep distractions out of bed.
“Remember your bed is only for sleep,” says the scientist.“You shouldn’t read,watch TV,play video games,or use laptop computers in bed.” Don’t do your bills or have heated discussions in bed,either. They may leave you sleepless.
3.Form a good habit.
You should form a good habit of going to bed and getting up at the same time at night and in the morning,including on weekends.
4.Gradually move to an earlier bedtime.
Another way of getting into a consistent (始终如一的) schedule is to try going to bed 15 minutes earlier each night for four nights. Then stick with the last bedtime. Slowly getting used to your schedule like this usually works better than suddenly trying to go to sleep an hour earlier.
5.Set consistent,healthy mealtimes.
Regular mealtimes,not just regular sleep times,help regulate our circadian rhythms (生理节奏).Eat a healthy breakfast and lunch on time instead of grabbing a piece of cake and coffee in the morning or a late sandwich on the run. Try to finish eating meals two or three hours before bedtime.
6.Exercise.
Regular exercise offers many benefits for sleep. Exercise generally makes it easier to fall asleep and sleep more soundly.The writer wrote this passage to ________.
A.explain why sleeping well is important |
B.tell us what usually keeps us awake at night |
C.tell us the harm of being sleepy in the daytime |
D.give us some tips on how to avoid daytime sleepiness |
What does the underlined word “adequate” in Point 1 mean?
A.Enough. |
B.Special. |
C.Better. |
D.Long. |
According to the writer,if we want to change our habits and go to sleep an hour earlier,we should ________.
A.try going to sleep an hour earlier suddenly |
B.try getting used to our new schedule slowly |
C.try getting used to our new schedule with some help |
D.try going to bed 10 minutes earlier each night for six nights |
From Point 5 we know if we want to sleep around 10 pm,we should have supper at least by ________.
A.6∶00 p.m. |
B.7∶00 p.m. |
C.8∶00 p.m. |
D.9∶00 p.m. |
She is a cute,quiet girl.As a daughter,she has no secrets from her mother,who is very pleased with her. But recently she has become somewhat mysterious,and not so open as before. She has a diary that she keeps under lock and key. Her mother cannot help worrying about her: what if she falls in love,which is too early for a girl of her age? After all she is reaching the “dangerous stage”. These thoughts have caused trouble in the mother’s mind.
One weekend the girl came to tell her mother that she was going to the cinema with her schoolmate and would return late. This was the first time her mother agreed,and she couldn’t help worrying because her daughter had never been away at night before. The mother waited till nine and her uneasiness got the upper hand over her. She decided to go out to meet her daughter. Just at that moment the noise of a car pulling up drew her to the window and-there was her daughter, waving goodbye to a boy. Her heart missed a beat. When the girl came in,the mother was watching TV,pretending nothing had happened. “Mum, I’m back.”“Yeah.”“Sorry to be late. Still sitting up?”“Yes, Oh,that... Who’s that boy?”The daughter was stunned for a moment. “Ah. It’s my monitor. He gave me a lift on his way home. Mum,I’m going to bed. ”“All right. Go to sleep early.”
Next morning when the mother went to the daughter’s room to do some tidying,she found her diary left at her pillow. After a few minutes’ hesitation she eventually opened it to the entry of the night before. It reads: Mum,it’s love that made you ask, but it would show your understanding of me if you hadn’t.
Holding the diary,the mother fell into thought.Which is the correct order according to the story?
a. She took a lift back in her monitor’s car.
b. She went to see a film with her schoolmate.
c. She wrote in her diary to her mother.
d. Her mother pretended to watch TV.
e. Her mother worried about her daughter’s returning late.
A.b,e,a,d,c |
B.e,b,a,d,c |
C.b,a,e,d,c |
D.b,e,a,c,d |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the story?
A.The girl knew her mother would ask her the question about the boy. |
B.What the daughter did recently had worried her mother. |
C.The mother was eager to read her daughter’s diary the next day. |
D.The girl’s diary was always unlocked. |
The main purpose of this article is to show that parents should________.
A.care about what their children really think and feel |
B.not give much freedom to their children |
C.talk with their children about their early love |
D.keep silent about their children’s privacy(隐私) |
Which can be the best title for this story?
A.Mother’s True Love |
B.Early Love Between Students |
C.To Ask or Not to Ask |
D.Dangerous Age |
F. Scott Fitzgerald, born on September 24,1896, an American novelist, was once a student of St.Paul Academy, the Newman School and attended Princeton University for a short while.In 1917 he joined the army and was posted in Alabama,where he met his future wife Zelda Sayre. Then he had to make some money to impress her.
His life with her was full of great happiness, as he wrote in his diary, “My own happiness in the past often approached such joy that I could not share it even with the person dearest to me but had to walk it away in quiet streets and take down parts of it in my diary.”
This Side of Paradise, his first novel, was published in 1920. Encouraged by its success,Fitzgerald began to devote more time to his writing.Then he continued with the novel The Beautiful and Damned (1922), a collection of short stories Tales of the Jazz Age (1922),and a play The Vegetable(1923). But his greatest success was The Great Gatsby, published in 1925, which quickly brought him praise from the literary world. Yet it failed to give him the needed financial security. Then, in 1926, he published another collection of short stories All the Sad Young Men.
However, Fitzgerald’s problems with his wife Zelda affected his writing. During the 1920s he tried to record his life, but failed. By 1930, his wife had her first breakdown and went to a Swiss clinic.During this period he completed novels Tender Is the Night in 1934 and The Love of the Last Tycoon in 1940. While his wife was in hospital in the United States, he got totally addicted to alcohol. Sheila Graham, his dear friend, helped him fight his alcoholism.How many novels written by Fitzgerald are mentioned in the passage?
A.5. |
B.6. |
C.7. |
D.8. |
Which of the following is the correct order to describe Fitzgerald’s life according to the passage?
a.He became addicted to drinking.
b.He studied at St. Paul Academy.
c.He published his first novel This Side of Paradise.
d.The Great Gatsby won high praise.
e. He failed to reord his life.
f.He joined the army and met Zelda.
A.f,c,e,a,b,d |
B.b,e,a,f,c,d |
C.f,d,e,c,b,a |
D.b,f,c,d,e,a |
We can infer from the passage that Fitzgerald________.
A.had made some money when he met Zelda in Alabama |
B.was well educated and well off before he served in the army |
C.would have completed more works if his wife hadn’t broken down |
D.helped his friend get rid of drinking while his wife was in hospital |
The passage is probably followed by a concluding paragraph about________.
A.Zelda’s personal life |
B.Zelda’s illness and treatment |
C.Fitzgerald’s friendship with Graham |
D.Fitzgerald’s contributions to the literary world |
Arthur Miller(1915—2005) is universally recognized as one of the greatest dramatists of the 20th century.Miller’s father had moved to the USA from AustriaHungary,drawn like so many others by the “Great American Dream”.However,he experienced severe financial hardship when his family business was ruined in the Great Depression of the early 1930s.
Miller’s most famous play,Death of a Salesman,is a powerful attack on the American system,with its aggressive way of doing business and its insistence on money and social status as indicators of worth.In Willy Loman,the hero of the play,we see a man who has got into trouble with this system.Willy is “burnt out” and in the cruel world of business there is no room for sentiment:if he can’t do the work,then he is no good to his employer,the Wagner Company,and he must go.Willy is painfully aware of this,and at a loss as to what to do with his lack of success.He refuses to face the fact that he has failed and kills himself in the end.
When it was first staged in 1949,the play was greeted with enthusiastic reviews,and it won the Tony Award for Best Play,the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award,and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.It was the first play to win all three of these major awards.
Miller died of heart failure at his home in Roxbury,Connecticut,on the evening of February 10,2005,the 56th anniversary of the first performance of Death of a Salesman on Broadway.Why did Arthur Miller’s father move to the USA?
A.He suffered from severe hunger in his home country. |
B.He was attracted by the “Great American Dream”. |
C.He hoped to make his son a dramatist. |
D.His family business failed. |
The play Death of a Salesman ________.
A.exposes the cruelty of the American business world |
B.discusses the ways to get promoted in a company |
C.talks about the business career of Arthur Miller |
D.focuses on the skills in doing business |
What can we learn about Willy Loman?
A.He treats his employer badly. |
B.He runs the Wagner Company. |
C.He is a victim of the American system. |
D.He is regarded as a hero by his colleagues. |
What is the text mainly about?
A.Arthur Miller and his family. |
B.The awards Arthur Miller won. |
C.The hardship Arthur Miller experienced. |
D.Arthur Miller and his bestknown play. |