I was in a rush as always, but this time it was for an important date I just couldn’t be late for! I found myself at a checkout counter behind an elderly woman seemingly in no hurry as she paid for her groceries. A. PhD. student with not a lot of money, I had hurried into the store to pick up some flowers. I was in a huge rush, thinking of my upcoming evening. I did not want to be late for this date.
We were in Boston, a place not always known for small conversation between strangers. The woman stopped unloading her basket and looked up at me. She smiled. It was a nice smile----warm and reassuring—and I retuned her gift by smiling back.
“Must be a special lady,” whoever it is that will be getting those beautiful flowers,” she said.
“Yes, she’s special,” I said, and then to my embarrassment, the words kept coming out. “It’s only our second date, but somehow I am just having the feeling she’s ‘the one.’ ”Jokingly, I added, “The only problem is that I can’t figure out why she’d want to date a guy like me.”
“Well, I think she’s very lucky to have a boyfriend who brings her such lovely flowers and who is obviously in love with her,” the woman said. “My husband used to bring me flowers every week-even when times were tough and we didn’t have much money. Those were incredible days; be was very romantic and---of course---- I miss him since he’s passed away.”
I paid for my flowers as she was gathering up her groceries. There was no doubt in my mind as I walked up to her. I touched her on the shoulder and said “You were right, you know. These flowers are indeed for a very special lady.” I handed the flowers and thanked her for such a nice conversation.
It took her a moment to realize that I was giving her the flowers I had just purchased(bought). “You have a wonderful evening,” I said. I left with a big smile and my heart warmed as I saw her smelling the beautiful flowers.
I remember being slightly late for my date that night and telling my girlfriend the above story. A couple of years later, when I finally worked up the courage to ask her to marry me, she told me that this story had helped to seal it for her-that was the night that I won her heart . Why was the writer in a hurry that day ?
| A．He was to meet his girlfriend. | B．He had to go back to school soon. |
| C．He was delayed by an elderly lady. | D．He had to pick up some groceries. |
What does the underlined phrase “her gift” （Paragraph 2 ） refer to ?
| A．Her words. | B．Her smile. | C．Her flowers. | D．Her politeness. |
Why did the writer give his flowers to the elderly lady ?
| A．She told him a nice story. | B．She allowed him to pay first. |
| C．She gave him encouragement. | D．She liked flowers very much. |
What is the message conveyed in the story ?
| A．Flowers are important for a date. | B．Small talk is helpful. |
| C．Love and kindness are rewarding. | D．Elderly people deserve respecting. |
Baths and bathing have long been considered of medical importance to man. In Greece there are the ruins of a water system for baths built over 3,000 years ago. The Romans had warm public baths. In some baths, as many 3,000 persons could bathe at the same time.
Treating disease by taking bathing has been popular for centuries. Modern medical bathing first became popular in Europe and by the late 1700’s has also become popular in the United States.
For many years frequent bathing was believed to be bad for one’s health. Ordinary bathing just to keep clean was avoided , and perfume was often used to cover up body smells!
By the 1700’s doctors began to say that soap and water were good for health. They believed that it was good for people to be clean. Slowly, people began to bathe more frequently. During the Victorian Age of the late 19th century, taking a bath on Saturday night became common.
In the United States ordinary bathing was slow to become popular. During the 18th and early 19th centuries, many Americans were known as “The Great Unwashed!” In one American city , for example, a person was only allowed to take a bath every thirty days! That was a law!
Frequency of bathing today is partly a matter of habit. People know that bathing for cleanliness is important to health, Doctors know that dirty bodies increase the chance of diseases. As a result, in the United States, people generally bathe often. Some people bathe once a day at least. They consider a daily bath essential to good health.A water system for baths was built by _______ over 3,000 years ago.
| A．the Romans | B．the Greeks |
| C．the Americans | D．the Europeans |
Dirty bodies can_______.
| A．ruin one’s business | B．cause disease |
| C．drive customers away | D．cause good health |
In the 18th century doctors believed that being clean was_______.
| A．unimportant | B．good for health |
| C．harmful | D．important |
The underlined word perfume probably means________.
| A．a sweet smelling substance | B．good health |
| C．a strange smelling substance | D．large wealth |
The Antarctica is actually a desert. It is the only continent on the earth without a river or a lake.
The Antarctica is all ice all year round. The warmest temperature ever recorded there is zero, at the South Pole. Explorers used to think that a place so cold would have a heavy snowfall. But less than ten inches of snow falls each year. That is less than half an inch of water. Ten times that much moisture (水份) falls in parts of the Sahara.
The little snow that falls in Antarctica never melts. It continues to pile up deeper and deeper year after year and century after century. When the snow gets to be about eighty feet deep it is turned to ice by the weight of snow above it .Antarctica is called a desert because it_______.
| A．is sandy. |
| B．has the same temperature as a desert. |
| C．has little moisture and no lakes or rivers. |
| D．there are no people there. |
Antarctica has_______.
| A．ten times as much moisture as the Sahara. |
| B．the same amount of moisture as the Sahara. |
| C．about one—tenth of the moisture of the Sahara. |
| D．none of the above. |
The snow in Antarctica is very deep because it_______.
A. never stops falling.B. piles up year after year.
C. never melts. D. both B and C.The snow turns to ice when______.
| A．it gets wet. |
| B．the next snowfall comes. |
| C．the temperature gets colder. |
| D．the snow above it is heavy enough. |
With the development of society, the choice of food and drinks for children is more diversified(多样化) than ever before. However, every coin has two sides. Many facts suggest that children are overweight and the situation is getting worse, according to the statistics(数据统计). I feel there are a number of reasons for this.
Some people blame（责怪）the fact that we are surrounded by shops selling unhealthy, fatty foods, such as fried chicken and ice cream, at low prices. This has turned out a whole generation of grown-ups who seldom cook a meal for themselves. If there were fewer of these restaurants then probably children would buy less take-away food.
There is another argument that blames parents for allowing their children to become overweight. I agree to this, because good eating habits begin early in life, long before children start to visit fast food shops. If children are given fried chicken and chocolate rather than healthy food, or are always allowed to choose what they eat, they will go for sweet and salty foods every time, and this will carry on throughout their lives.
There is a third reason for this situation. Children these days take very little exercise. They do not walk to school. When they get home, they sit in front of the television or their computers. Not only is this an unhealthy pastime（消遣）, it also gives them time to eat more unhealthy food. What they need is to go outside and play active games or sports.
The above are the main reasons for this problem, and therefore we have to encourage young people to be more active, as well as guiding them away from fast food shops and bad eating habits.What is suggested by the author to deal with “overweight”?
| A．Blaming the shops selling unhealthy and fatty foods. |
| B．Asking young children to walk to school every day. |
| C．Living an active life and giving up bad eating habits. |
| D．Not watching TV or playing computer games after school. |
Which of the following shows the structure of the whole text?
The author writes the passage to __________
| A．show people a social problem |
| B．provide facts for government |
| C．advise solutions to a problem |
| D．compare opinions with people |
Finished school for the summer? It’s great to kick back and relax after the school year-and you deserve it! －but it might also be the time to start building that resume(履历) to help you impress the college of your choice. Having a great resume doesn’t just mean getting a summer job; lots of activities can help you stay active and gain valuable experience over the summer months.
| ·Work Getting a job is one of the most practical ways to build your resume and impress colleges, even if working during the school year is not an option（选择）, look out for specific holiday jobs, like residential（寄宿的）summer camps that look for help during the summer months. Any job is good, but working in a leadership position or in an academic area looks particularly good on your resume. The more a job challenges you, the more it builds the skills that colleges and future employers are interested in seeing in applicants(申请者). |
| ·Volunteer Give back to gain resume points. Community service is another great way to gain valuable work and leadership experience. Nonprofit（非利益性） organizations such as soup kitchens and animal shelters are always looking for volunteers, and it shouldn’t be difficult to find a volunteer organization near your home that could use an extra pair of hands for a few hours a week during the summer. |
| ·Travel This may not be a viable（可行的）option for everyone, but if you can afford it, summer travel can be an exciting way to enrich your mind and improve your resume. Visiting and exploring（探索） foreign places will broaden your horizons（视野）, allowing you to expand your awareness of other people and cultures. It’s also a great chance to develop your language skills. |
| ·Take Classes “School” might be the last thing you want after a hard year of studying, but summer school isn’t always a bad thing. Colleges may look kindly upon applicants who take the initiative（主动）to further their education over the summer. There are a variety of options available for high school students wishing to take summer courses, both at their own schools and at local colleges. If your high school offers summer classes, they could be a great way to advance your math or language skills, two areas that are often lacking on students’ college applications. Local community colleges also offer summer courses for high school juniors and seniors that cover a variety of introductory-level topics. They not only look great on your transcript（成绩单）, but also provide a chance to improve your preparations for college and allow you to explore possible career options. |
What is the main benefit of summer activities according to the text?
| A．To enjoy yourself to the full. |
| B．To enrich your resume. |
| C．To develop certain skills. |
| D．To improve your academic performance. |
What is the most practical activity to do during summer vacation?
| A．Getting a job. | B．Traveling overseas. |
| C．Doing volunteer work. | D．Attending classes. |
According to the text, “soup kitchens and animal shelters” .
| A．are places that you can travel to |
| B．might be included in summer courses |
| C．are recommended（推荐）as part-time jobs for the summer |
| D．can be good volunteer jobs |
.Why is “taking classes” recommended in the article?
| A．It only takes a few hours a week. |
| B．It can enrich your career experience. |
| C．It can prepare you for further study. |
| D．It can raise your cultural awareness. |
As children enter their teens, they usually begin to pay more attention to their peers (同龄人) or friends. Peer pressure (压力) can be direct or indirect, but it is almost always present. Learning to deal with peer pressure makes a teen mature (成熟的), and able to get along well with others.
Bad peer pressure is when teens feel pressured to do something that they know is wrong, such as smoking, drinking, or drugs (毒品), and it can remain (保持) with them into adulthood. This is the main reason teens have to learn how to deal with it.
Some of the things you can do to deal with peer pressure include:
● Choose friends who share your values. Good friends use positive (正面的) peer pressure to help you be your best self.
● Keep away from situations where people are doing things you don’t want to do.
● Think about your reasons for doing things. Are they good reasons? Are you being true to yourself and your values?
● Practice ways of saying no, giving excuses if necessary.
● Talk to your parents, or other trusted adults, about the kinds of peer pressure you face, and listen to their advice.
● Let the adults know when you need help to get out of a bad situation, and don’t know what to do about it.
Remember that if just one teen stands up to (对抗) peer pressure, usually others will join him or her. Learning to deal with peer pressure will make you confident and mature.According to the passage, which of the following is true?
| A．Peer pressure includes direct and indirect pressure. |
| B．Peer pressure comes from smoking, drinking and using drugs. |
| C．Teens facing pressure can’t tell right from wrong. |
| D．Teens who face pressure are more mature than those who don’t |
Teens should learn to deal with peer pressure mainly because ______.
| A．it can keep them from making serious mistakes |
| B．it can influence them even when they have grown up |
| C．learning to deal with it can help them get along well with others |
| D．learning to deal with it can make them mature and confident |
According to the passage, teens should ______.
| A．stay away from people who don’t share their values |
| B．have good reasons for anything they do |
| C．say no more often than yes |
| D．ask adults they trust for help |
Which column(专栏) of a magazine may the passage be from?
| A．Social problem. | B．School news. |
| C．For teens. | D．Science. |