A woman renewing her driver’s license at the County Clerk’s office was asked to state her occupation．She hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself．
“What I mean is,” explained the recorder, “do you have a job, or are you just a …”
“Of course I have a job,” said Emily．“I’m a mother.”
“We don’t list ‘mother’ as an occupation… ‘housewife’ covers it,” said the recorder.
One day I found myself in the same situation．The clerk was obviously a career woman, confident and possessed of a high sounding title．“What is your occupation?” she asked．
The words simply popped out．“I’m a Research Associate in the field of Child Development and Human Relations.”
The clerk paused, ballpoint pen frozen in midair.
I repeated the title slowly, and then I stared with wonder as my statement was written in bold, black ink on the official questionnaire.
“Might I ask,” said the clerk with new interest, “Just what you do in this field?”
Coolly, without any trace of panic in my voice, I heard myself reply, “I have a continuing program of research (what mother doesn’t）, in the lab and in the field (normally I would have said indoors and out)．Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the humanities (any mother care to disagree?), and I often work 14 hours a day (24 is more like it)．But the job is more challenging than most careers and rewards are more of a satisfaction rather than just money.”
There was an increasing note of respect in the clerk’s voice as she completed the form, stood up, and showed me out．
As I drove into our driveway, buoyed up (依托) by my glamorous new career, I was greeted by my lab assistants---ages 13, 7, and 3.
Upstairs I could hear our new experimental model (a 6 month old baby), in the child-development program, testing out a new vocal pattern．
I felt proud! I had gone on the official records as someone more distinguished and indispensable (不可缺少的) to mankind than “just another mother.”
Motherhood…What a glorious career! Especially when there’s a title on the door.What can we infer from the conversation between the woman and the recorder at the beginning of the passage?
| A．The woman felt ashamed to admit what her job was. |
| B．The recorder was impatient and rude. |
| C．The author was upset about the situation that mothers faced. |
| D．Motherhood was not recognized and respected as a job by society. |
How did the female clerk feel at first when the author told her occupation?
| A．curious | B．indifferent | C．puzzled | D．interested |
How did the author feel when describing her job to the clerk?
| A．calm | B．panic-stricken | C．confident | D．cool |
Why did the woman clerk show more respect for the author?
| A．Because the author cared little about rewards. |
| B．Because she admired the author’s research work in the lab. |
| C．Because she thought the author did admirable work. |
| D．Because the writer did something she had little knowledge of. |
What is the author’s purpose of writing the passage?
| A．To show how you describe your job affects your feelings toward it. |
| B．To argue that motherhood is a worthy career and deserves respect. |
| C．To show that the author had a grander job than Emily. |
| D．To show that being a mother is hard and boring work． |
There are various advantages of using a pen name. In case the author writes on various topics or in different genres (体裁), using a pen name would be very useful. For example, let’s say an author is an expert in writing on serious topics, like business or finance, and also likes writing fiction stories, like romance. In such an author’s case, a pen name could save him from losing his readers as well as reputation.
Will you be okay with any pen name? No, you should make sure that it is easy to spell and pronounce. If you come up with a name that is difficult to pronounce, maybe your readers will not want to recommend your book to someone. They may not ask for your book at a library. Why? Because it could be pronounced wrongly and may sound foolish in front of others. This is the reason why your pen name should be easy to pronounce.
Not only should your pen name be easy to spell and pronounce, but it should also be professional. The idea is to get a name that should be memorable, not mock-able.
If you are trying to pen your pen name in a way that is too similar to an existing author’s pen name, you are doing yourself no good.
One small trick that could at least guarantee ‘a look at your book’ in the library is by using the correct initials. If you find that a particular best-selling author in your genre of writing has his name starting with ‘B’, maybe you could think of starting your pen name with ‘A’. People are going to search the library shelves from left to right to locate that famous author, and in the process, may come across your book.
Your pen name has to be distinguished because it is going to last all your life.When recommending your book with a pen name hard to pronounce, your readers may feel _________.
| A．nervous | B．cheerful |
| C．satisfied | D．embarrassed |
If the author of a best-seller of your kind uses a pen name like Patricia, you’d better choose _________.
| A．Sam | B．Rebecca | C．Verna | D．Lauren |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Benefits of using a proper pen name. |
| B．How to win plenty of readers and reputation. |
| C．Things to consider while choosing a pen name. |
| D．How to select a pen name when writing different genres. |
Most young people enjoy some form of physical activity. It may be walking, cycling, or swimming, or in winter, skating or skiing. It may be game of some kind football, hockey, golf, or tennis. It may be mountaineering.
Those who have a passion for climbing high and difficult mountains are often looked upon with astonishment. Why are men and women willing to suffer cold and hardship, and to take risks on high mountains? This astonishment is caused probably by the difference between mountaineering and other forms of activity to which men give their relaxation.
Mountaineering is a sport and not a game. There are no man-made rules, as there are for such games as golf and football. There are, of course, rules of a different kind which it would be dangerous to ignore (忽略), but it is this freedom from man-made rules that makes mountaineering attractive to many people. Those who climb mountains are free to use their own methods.
If we compare mountaineering and other more familiar sports, we might think that one big difference is that mountaineering is not a “team game”. We should be mistaken in this. There are, it is true, no “matches” between “teams” of climbers, but when climbers are on a rock face linked by a rope on which their lives may depend, there is obviously teamwork.
The mountain climber knows that he may have to fight forces that are stronger and more powerful than man. He has to fight the forces of nature. His sport requires high mental and physical qualities.
A mountain climber continues to improve in skill year after year. A skier (滑雪者) is probably past his best by the age of thirty, and most international tennis champions are in their early twenties. But it is not unusual for man of fifty or sixty to climb the highest mountains in Alps. They may take more time than younger men, but they probably climb with more skill and less waste of effort, and they certainly experience equal enjoyment. The main difference between a sport and a game lies in ______.
| A．activity | B．uniform | C．rules | D．skills |
Mountaineering can be called a team sport because ______.
| A．mountaineers depend on each other while climbing |
| B．teams compete against each other |
| C．it is an Olympic event |
| D．there are five climbers on each team |
Mountaineers compete against ______.
| A．each other | B．nature |
| C．other teams | D．international standards |
Which of the following might be the best title?
| A．How to Climb High Mountains | B．Mountain Climbers |
| C．Challenging Sports Activities | D．Mountaineering |
When thinking about quitting (stop) smoking, list all the reasons why you want to quit. Every night before going to bed, repeat one of the reasons 10 times.
Decide positively that you want to quit. Try to avoid negative thoughts about how difficult it might be. Develop strong personal reasons as well as your health and responsibility to others. For example, think of all the time you waste taking cigarette breaks, rushing out to buy a pack, hunting a light, etc. Set a date for quitting --- perhaps a special day like your birthday, a holiday. If you smoke heavily at work, quit during your vacation. Make the date holy seriously, and don't let anything change it. Begin to condition yourself physically; start a modest (适当的) exercise; drink more water; get plenty of rest.
Immediately after quitting...
The first few days after you quit, spend as much free time as possible in places where smoking is prohibited, e.g. libraries, museums, theatres, department stores, etc.
Drink large quantities of water and fruit juice. Try to avoid wine, coffee, and other drinks which remind you of cigarette smoking.
Strike up a conversation with someone instead of a match for a cigarette.
If you miss the feeling of having a cigarette in your hand, play with something else --- a pencil, a pen, a ruler. If you miss having something in your mouth, try a fake (仿制的) cigarette. According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?
| A．Whenever you feel like a cigarette, try to forget it by sleeping. |
| B．Try to start a conversation before asking for a light. |
| C．If you miss the feeling of having a cigarette in your mouth, play with a pen. |
| D．Every night before going to bed, repeat all the reasons 10 times. |
From the passage, we know smokers __________.
| A．should drink a lot of coffee |
| B．have to stop to smoke from time to time |
| C．should drink a lot of wine |
| D．should not do any exercise |
According to the passage, what does the underlined word “prohibited” mean?
| A．forbidden | B．allowed |
| C．received | D．welcomed |
If the passage is in a newspaper, which section（部分）is it in?
| A．Sports | B．News | C．Health | D．Culture |
Betty is not traditional American beauty. She is unfashionable, has thick red glasses, untidy hair and large metal braces (牙套) on her teeth. But this hasn’t stopped her from becoming one of American’s favorite TV characters. So how did she manage to do it?
The answer is that charm can be more attractive than beauty. Betty is the main character in a TV show Ugly Betty. The show is about her life as a n office worker at a fashion magazine in New York.
The TV show has just started. Betty has many exciting experiences and romantic stories. Betty is often looked down on and laughed at by the people around. But she manages to do better than others with her hard work, charm and wisdom. The show tells us about how a girl goes from an ugly young duck into a beautiful swan.
Though you may know the ending of the show from the beginning and the story is familiar to many of us, it has still been a big success in the USA. It has attracted a large number of viewers and won two Golden Globes awards, one of the highest honors for a television program in the USA.“ I think you can see a bit of Betty in all of us, and I mean men as well, because it’s about the underdog (弱者)”，says Ashley Jensen, who plays one of the characters on the show.
The program is so popular because of the performance of the 23-year-old actress America Ferrera who plays the role of Betty. She brings the character alive on the screen. Betty is popular because of ____.
| A．her clothes | B．her charm |
| C．her personality | D．her appearance |
Which is the reason for the success of the show?
| A．A large number of viewers. |
| B．Her life as an office worker. |
| C．The wonderful performance. |
| D．Two Golden Globes awards. |
Which of the following is NOT true according of the show?
| A．Betty is a girl of wisdom. |
| B．Betty acts as a beautiful swan on the show. |
| C．Betty is an American favorite TV character. |
| D．Betty is often looked down on by the people around. |
What can be the best title for the passage?
| A．Beauty from within. | B．A romantic story. |
| C．An ugly girl. | D．An exciting experience. |
One day Mr. Brown sees a young woman in the street with children. He is very surprised because all the children are wearing the same clothes. White caps, blue coats and yellow trousers.
“Are all these children yours?” he asks the woman.
“Yes, they are.” she answers.
“Do you always dress them in the same clothes ?” asks Mr. Brown.
“Yes,” answers the mother. “When we have four children, we dress them in the same clothes because we don’t want to lose any of them. It is easy to see our children among other children because they are all wearing the same clothes.
And now we have ten, we dress them like this because we don't want to take other children home by mistake. When there are other children among ours, it is easy to see them because their clothes are different.How many people does Mr. Brown see in the street one day? He sees ____in all.
| A．twelve | B．eleven | C．four | D．ten children |
Why is Mr. Brown surprised? Because ________ .
| A．all the children are boys |
| B．all the children are in the same clothes |
| C．all the children are lovely |
| D．all the children are wearing the same trousers |
Why does the woman dress her children in the same clothes? Because ___________.
| A．she has so many children |
| B．she loves her children |
| C．she doesn't want to take her children home |
| D．she wants to see her children easily among others |