I made a promise to myself on the way down to the vacation beach cottage. For two weeks I would try to be a loving husband and father. Totally loving. No ifs, ands or buts.
The idea had come to me as I listened to a talk on my car radio. The speaker was quoting a Biblical passage about husbands and their wives. Then he went on to say, “Love is an act of will. A person can choose to love.” To myself, I had to admit that I had been a selfish husband. Well, for two weeks that would change.
And it did. On arriving at the beach cottage, I kissed Evelyn meeting me at the door and said, “That new yellow sweater looks great on you.” “Oh, Tom, you noticed”, she said, surprised and pleased. Maybe a little puzzled. After the long drive, I wanted to sit and read. Evelyn suggested a walk on the beach. I started to refuse, but then I thought, “Evelyn’s been alone here with the kids all week and now she wants to be alone with me.” We walked on the beach while the children flew their kites.
So it went. Two weeks of not calling the Wall Street firm where I am a director; a visit to the shell museum though I usually hate museums. Relaxed and happy, that’s how the whole vacation passed. I made a new promise to keep on remembering to choose love.
There was one thing that went wrong with my experiment, however. Evelyn and I still laugh about it today. On the last night at our cottage, preparing for bed, Evelyn stared at me with the saddest expression.
“What’s the matter?” I asked her.
“Tom,” she said in a voice filled with distress, “I don’t?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well…that checkup I had several weeks ago…our doctor…did he tell you something about me? Tom, you’ve been so good to me…am I dying?”
It took a moment for it all to be understood. Then I burst out laughing.
“No, honey,” I said, wrapping her in my arms. “You’re not dying; I’m just starting to live.”From the story we may infer that Tom drove to the beach cottage ______.
| A．with his family | B．with Evelyn | C．alone | D．with his children |
During the two weeks on the beach, Tom showed more love to his wife because ______.
| A．he was determined to be a good husband |
| B．he had made a lot of money in his Wall Street firm |
| C．she looked lovely in her new clothes |
| D．the doctor said his wife was seriously ill |
The author says, “There was one thing that went wrong with my experiment.” What does “one thing” refer to?
| A．He praised her sweater, which puzzled her. |
| B．She insisted on visiting a museum, which he hated. |
| C．He knew something about her illness but didn’t tell her. |
| D．He was so good to her that she thought she must be dying. |
“In my country, men usually go to restaurants on their own. They always take their shoes off before they go in. Then they usually sit on the floor around a small, low table. In the evening they often sing songs.”
“You usually take chocolates or flowers. But you always take an odd number of flowers, and you remove the paper before you give them to the hostess. You can also send flowers before you arrive. you don’t usually take wine except when you visit very close friends.”
“We always offer our guests something to drink when they arrive, tea, coffee or perhaps water or soft drinks. We think it is polite to accept a drink even if you’re not thirsty. If you visit someone you always stay for a few drinks. When you have had enough to drink, you tap your cup or put your hand over it. If you say no, your host will insist that you have more to drink.”
“People’s private lives are very important so they never ask you personal questions about your family or where you live or your job. They never talk about religion or matters of finance, education or politics, but usually stay with safe subjects like the weather, films, plays, books and restaurants.”
“It’s difficult to know when to leave, but an evening meal usually lasts about three or four hours. When the host serves coffee, this is sometimes a sign that the evening is nearly over, but you can have as much coffee as you want.”
“If the invitation says eight o’clock then we arrive exactly at eight. With friends we know well, we sometimes arrive about fifteen minutes before.”
“Obviously it depends on the occasion, but most dinner parties are informal. The men don’t usually wear a suit, but they may wear a jacket and tie. Women are usually smart but casual.” The writer of the passage is probably_____.
| A．Chinese | B．Japanese | C．the English | D．American |
What should you bring when you are invited to have dinner?
| A．Wine and cigarettes. | B．Tea or drinks. |
| C．Money and presents. | D．Chocolates or flowers. |
Which of the following subjects are never talked about among the people?
| A．Politics, education, religion, or matters of finance. |
| B．Family, books or plays. |
| C．Weather, restaurant, or film. |
| D．Job, money, weather or film and play. |
When the hostess serves coffee after the meal, it means _____.
| A．the evening meal will start at once |
| B．the guests can stay more hours |
| C．the evening meal has ended, the guests should prepare to leave |
| D．there has not been any tea and other drinks |
Which of the following statements isn’t right?
| A．If you are invited for dinner, you should arrive on time. |
| B．You should take off your shoes first after you step into the host’s door. |
| C．The hostess always offer the guests something to drink when they arrive. |
| D．You should accept the hostess’ drinks even if you’re not thirsty. |
The Carnival of Brazil is an annual festival held 46 days before Easter, especially famous for the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. Carnival celebrations are believed to have roots in the festival of Saturnalia, which, adapted to Christianity, became a farewell to bad things in a season of religious discipline to regret and prepare for Christ’s death and coming back to life.
Modern Brazilian Carnival dates back to Rio de Janeiro in 1641. It originally copied the European form of the festival, later taking in elements of Native American and African cultures.
In the late 19th century, the strings (弦乐器) were introduced in Rio de Janeiro. These were pageant (游行) groups that paraded through city avenues performing on instruments and dancing. Today they are known as blocks, consisting of a group of people who dress in costumes or special T-shirts with themes or logos. Blocks are generally connected with particular neighborhoods; they include both a music group and a lot of revelers.
Block parades have become an expressive feature of Rio’s Carnival. Today, they number more than 100 and the groups increase each year. Blocks can be formed by small or large groups of revelers with a clear title. Before the show, they gather in a square, then parade in sections of the city, often near the beach.
Carnival time in Rio is very interesting, but is also the most expensive time to visit Rio. Hotel rooms and other lodgings (住宿) can be up to four times more expensive than the regular rates. There are big crowds at some locations and life is far from ordinary in many parts of town.What can we infer from the first paragraph?
| A．The Carnival of Brazil is often held after Easter. |
| B．The Carnival of Brazil comes from Easter and Saturnalia. |
| C．The Carnival of Brazil is a festival to regret and begin a new life. |
| D．The Carnival of Brazil is mainly to celebrate the birth of Christ. |
How long is the history of the people’s celebrating modern Brazilian Carnival?
| A．About 100 years. | B．Less than two centuries. |
| C．About 370 years. | D．Over five centuries. |
Which of the following statements is TRUE about the blocks in Rio de Janeiro?
| A．They are always wearing costumes or special T-shirts with themes or logos. |
| B．They always parade through countryside villages singing and dancing. |
| C．There are no more than 50 blocks today. |
| D．They don’t parade before the show. |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．The famous carnivals in the world. |
| B．How the carnival was introduced in Brazil. |
| C．The carnival in Rio de Janeiro. |
| D．The happy life of the people in Rio de Janeiro. |
Derrius Quarles, 19, had an unhappy childhood. But the Chicago teen didn’t give up. He tried his best and won $1 million in college scholarships (奖学金)! Now Derrius is a successful college student with a bright future.
When Derrius was 4, his father was killed. His mother couldn’t take care of him because of taking drugs. Derrius and his 9-year-old brother sometimes had to steal food to eat. Derrius felt different from other kids. In seventh grade, Derrius went to live in a foster home (寄养家庭). His foster parents weren’t nice to him. They told him that he’d never be anything in life.
Derrius didn’t do his best in school. The summer after ninth grade, that changed. Derrius had signed up for a biology class. He didn’t go to class the first day. On the second day, he showed up late. His teacher took him outside. She told him he was smart, but that he was wasting his potential (潜力). The talk inspired him and he planned to prove that he could be anything if he worked hard enough.
Adults at a summer program helped Derrius find out about scholarships he could earn to pay for college. In his senior year, Derrius filled out lots of applications. He told his friends, “You’re not going to see me for a long time.” Derrius’s hard work paid off. He won more than $1 million in scholarships! He has a lot to be proud of. But he’s most proud of helping others. Derrius gives speeches to teens, telling them how to find scholarships. In high school, Derrius got help buying a computer. He wanted to help others who needed them. Last year, he gave two laptops to high school students. There’s a lot of work in his future. Derrius doesn’t mind — hard work has got him where he is today. He knows it can take him anywhere.From Paragraphs 2 and 3, we can learn that Derrius _____.
| A．always studied hard in school |
| B．lived in the same foster home with his brother |
| C．hated his parents very much |
| D．was encouraged a lot by his biology teacher |
The underlined word “it” in the last paragraph refers to _____.
| A．great success | B．a scholarship |
| C．hard work | D．a computer |
What kind of person do you think Derrius is?
| A．Lazy but kind-hearted. |
| B．Selfish and naughty. |
| C．Confident but troublesome. |
| D．Determined and generous. |
What does the author want to tell us?
| A．The way to win a scholarship to a college. |
| B．The importance of family background. |
| C．Never forget people who have helped you. |
| D．Hard work pays off sooner or later. |
A quick look at an e-reader
New, High-Contrast（高对比度） E-Ink Screen
50% better contrast than any other e-reader. The clearest text and sharpest images.
Read in Bright Sunlight
Unlike LCD screens, its screen reads like real paper, with no glare. Read as easily in bright sunlight as in your living room.
Lighter Than a Paperback
Weighing only 8.5 ounces and 1/3 of an inch thick, it is lighter than a paperback and thinner than a magazine.
Holds 3,500 Books
We doubled its storage so you can carry up to 3,500 books.
Battery Life of Up to One Month
A single charge lasts up to one month with wireless off. Keeping wireless always on, it can go for up to three weeks without recharging.
Books in 60 Seconds
With fast, free wireless delivery, you can start reading books in less than 60 seconds. No computer required.
______
Over 670,000 books, including 107 of 111 New York Times Best Sellers, plus audiobooks, periodicals and blogs. For non-U.S. customers, content availability varies.
Free, Out-of-Copyright Books
Over 1.8 million free, out-of-copyright, pre-1923 books are available such as Pride and Prejudice.
Low Book Prices
Over 550,000 books are $9.99 or less, including 73 New York Times Best Sellers of the present time.
Free Book Samples (样品)
Download and read first chapters for free before you decide to buy.If you want to use the e-reader longer, you should ______.
| A．charge it frequently | B．keep wireless off |
| C．use it in bright sunlight | D．read in a quiet room |
Which of the following can best fill in the blank in the text?
| A．Large selection. | B．Excellent service. |
| C．Reasonable prices. | D．Interesting content. |
What is this text，mainly about?
| A．What an e-reader is. |
| B．Who needs an e-reader. |
| C．How to use an e-reader. |
| D．The advantages of an e-reader. |
Mom noticed that something was wrong when I started getting so thirsty. I’d have a lot to drink before bed, which was unusual for me. One time, I opened a big container of apple juice and kept refilling my glass. Before I knew it, I’d drunk the entire container! My mom called my doctor. I then had a few blood tests, and the results were certain — I had diabetes (糖尿病), which meant that the amount of sugar in my blood was very high. That can be dangerous, so I had to learn how to control my blood-sugar level.
My eating habits had to change in a big way. With diabetes, I can’t eat a lot of sugar or carbohydrates (碳水化合物). I have to figure out exactly how much sugar I plan to eat, and then I get an injection of insulin (注射胰岛素) before the meal to help my body process the food. Also, I test my blood-sugar level often. I’m always trying to keep my blood sugar at a healthy level. The level can drop when I exercise, but that doesn’t keep me out of gym class or off the basketball court — I just keep some juice boxes around to boost my blood sugar if I need to.
It’s a lot of work — and not a lot of fun — to keep track of everything, but I’ve gotten used to my new habits. I was a little scared at first because I wasn’t sure how my life would change. Once I knew what I needed to do, though, it wasn’t a big deal. My life is different now from what it was before, but it has become completely regular to me. The first paragraph is mainly about _____.
| A．who found the author had diabetes |
| B．the author’s life before having diabetes |
| C．how the author was found to have diabetes |
| D．the author’s eating habits before having diabetes |
What did the author do after knowing she had diabetes?
| A．She stopped playing basketball in the gym. |
| B．She controlled her blood-sugar level strictly. |
| C．She stopped eating food with natural sugar. |
| D．She tested her blood-sugar level before every meal. |
What does the underlined word “boost” in Paragraph 2 mean?
| A．Increase. | B．Control. | C．Absorb. | D．Test. |
What’s the author’s attitude toward her having diabetes now?
| A．Worried. | B．Frightened. | C．Pessimistic. | D．Positive. |