All of my childhood and early, adult life, my mom weighed over 220 pounds (one pound =" 0.454" kilograms). I could feel the pain that my mom experienced with her fatness.
I was never uncomfortable about my mother, but I think she was uncomfortable about herself, and that feeling was painful for all of us. And she began to lose weight.
After more than twenty years of battling obesity(肥胖), my mother completed a forceful eighteen-month diet that left her ninety pounds lighter than before. A new woman was born! At age twenty-eight, I got a new mom! For the first time, I met the woman my mother truly was, the beautiful little lady under the fatness. It wasn’t so much her new body that was the surprise, but rather her new spirit.
To celebrate her new size and to devote herself to dancing again, my mother joined a “Mrs. Forty-Plus” competition, where she would have to model, give a speech and provide a dance performance. She told our family that she did not care if she won — she simply had always wanted to perform on stage.
She told each one of us, “I’m not doing it to win; I’m doing it to dance!”
The competition was exciting! I prayed(祈祷) that my mom would win, but while watching her on stage I was simply overjoyed just by her effort. To me, she had already won. She posed to perfection, her speech brought tears to everyone’s eyes, and her performance was wonderful.
That night, at age fifty-three, my mother was crowned (为......加冕) “Mrs. Forty-Plus”. She was the first person in our family to ever win such a title. The first two paragraphs mainly show that the author’s mom was __________.
| A.experienced | B.painful | C.comfortable | D.fat |
After the author’s mom completed a forceful eighteen-month diet, she was about ______.
| A.85 kilograms | B.41 kilograms |
| C.130 pounds | D.90 pounds |
In order to join in the “Mrs. Forty-Plus” Competition, the author’s mom has to do the following EXCEPT __________.
| A.providing a dance performance |
| B.telling a funny story about herself |
| C.giving a speech to a large number of people |
| D.wearing special clothes to show to people |
The underlined part in Paragraph 6 means that __________.
| A.the author’s mom succeeded in modeling and speaking |
| B.the author’s mom’s performance was very wonderful |
| C.the author’s mom was not successful in modeling |
| D.the author’s mom succeeded in making a speech |
It is natural that young people are often uncomfortable when they are with their parents . They say their parents don’t understand them .They often think that their parents are out of touch with modern ways , that they are too serious(严肃) — too strict with their children and that they seldom give their children a free hand . It is true that parents often find it difficult to win their children’s trust(信任) and they often forget how they themselves felt when they were young .
For example , young people like to act on the spot without much thinking . It is one of their ways to show they have grown up and that they can face any difficult situation . However , older people worry more easily . Most of old people plan things ahead , at least in the back of their minds , and do not like their plans to be upset by something unexpected .
When you want your parents to let you do something , you will have better success if you ask before you really start doing it .
Young people often make their parents angry with their choices in clothes and in music . But they do not want to cause any trouble ; it is just that they feel cut off from the older people’s world , into which they have not yet been accepted . That’s why young people want to make a new culture of their own . And if their parents do not like their music or hairstyle or clothes or their ways of speech , this will make the young people very happy .
Sometimes you are so proud of yourself that you do not want your parents to say “yes” to what you do . All you want is to be left alone and do what you like . It is natural enough , after being a child for so many years , when you were completely under your parents’ control .
If you plan to control your life , you’d better win your parents over and try to get them to understand
you. If your parents see that you have a high sense of responsibility , they will certainly give you the right to do what you want to do .Whom is this text written for ?
| A.Parents |
| B.Both parents and their children |
| C.Young people |
| D.Teachers |
The underlined expression “on the spot ” means ______ .
| A.at the place where something happened. |
| B.by oneself |
| C.immediately |
| D.angrily |
According to the text , young people usually ______ .
| A.ask for advice before they really start to do anything |
| B.do things without thinking carefully ahead |
| C.are very strict with themselves |
| D.think in the same way as their parents do |
Why do young people like to have clothes and music in their own way ?
| A.Because they want to make their parents angry . |
| B.Because they try to get their parents into trouble . |
| C.Because they want to try something new and look different from the older people . |
| D.Because they know they are cleverer than the older people . |
Remembering names is an important social skill . Here are some ways to improve it.
Remember and repeat in conversation . When you hear a person’s name , repeat it.
Immediately say it to yourself several times without moving your lips . you could also repeat the name in a way that sounds natural.
Ask the other person to recite and repeat . You can let other people help you remember their names. After you’ve been introduced to someone , ask that person to spell the name and pronounce it correctly for you . Most people will be glad by the effort that you’re making to learn their names.
Admit(承认) that you don’t know .You may tell them that you can’t remember someone’s name . Most of them will feel glad if you say, “I’m working to remember your names better . Yours is right on the tip of my tongue . What is it again?”
Use associations(联想). Link each person yon meet with one thing you find interesting or unusual.
For example, you can remember in this way : “Vicki Cheng ——tall, black hair.” To remember their names , you can write them on a small card as soon as possible.
Limit the number of new names you learn at one time. When meeting a group of people, you’d better remember just two or three names. Free yourself from remembering every one. Few of the people expect you to remember their names. Another way is to limit yourself to learning just first names. Last names can come later.
Go early . Consider going early to meetings , parties and classes . Sometimes just a few people show up on time . There’re fewer names for you to remember. And as more people arrive , you can hear them being introduced to others . How will most people feel when you try hard to remember their names?
| A.They will be moved to tears. |
| B.They will be surprised. |
| C.They will feel pleased. |
| D.They will be upset. |
If you can't remember someone's name, you may ______.
| A.tell him the truth |
| B.tell him a white lie |
| C.ask him for pity |
| D.say you don’t know him |
When you meet a group of people, it is better to remember _____ .
| A.all their names |
| B.a few names first |
| C.just their last names |
| D.as many names as possible |
What does the text mainly tell us?
| A.Suggestions on an important social skill. |
| B.Importance of attending parties. |
| C.How to make use of associations. |
| D.How to remember and repeat names in conversation. |
Everyone would like to be a millionaire , a person with a lot of money, but can you imagine having over $30 million and only being 20 years old? Britney Spears from Kentwood, a small town in Louisiana, is only 20 years old. She is a world famous film star with not only $30 million but also a $2 million house in LA. At her young age, she can look after her family financially (经济上) all her life. This year is a big year for Britney. She is now on a 31-day tour of the US and every concert is a sell-out. That means she plays in front of a crowd of around 18,000 people every time. It’s a tiring schedule but brings her a lot. When touring, she goes to bed around 1 a.m. and then has a lie-in until 1 p.m. the next day. Her philosophy (人生观) is to take care of the body and relax but always make sure you work hard and have fun.
Spears is not pleased with only touring and selling nearly 40 million records so she decided to step into the movie business and try a bit of acting. She made an appearance in “Austin Power 3” this year and she is filming a teenage light play that will come out in March 2003. In this movie, she has a starring role.
For Britney, acting is another way to express herself and she is enthusiastic (热心的) about it all. If her movies are successful, her money in the bank is sure to grow by another few million dollars but she does it for the love, not the money, as she herself tells the reporters .We can infer (推断) from the text that most millionaires are __________.
| A.older than 20 | B.around 20 |
| C.in their 30s | D.in their 40s |
The underlined word “you” in the first paragraph refers to __________.
| A.a person in general |
| B.a special person |
| C.Britney Spears |
| D.a person interested in money |
Which of the following is not true according to the text?
| A.Though young, Britney can support her family now. |
| B.While touring, Britney sleeps about 12 hours a day. |
| C.The teenage comedy movie was based on Britney’s own story. |
| D.Britney will be even richer with her movies successful. |
According to Britney Spears, she works __________.
| A.to be a great actress | B.for the enjoyment |
| C.for money | D.to be more famous |
An old lady in a plane had a blanket (毯子)over her head and she did not want to take it off. The air hostess spoke to her, but the old lady said, "I have never been in a plane before, and I am frightened. I am going to keep this blanket over my head until we are back on the ground again!"
Then the captain came. He said, "Madam, I am the captain of this plane. The weather is fine, there are no clouds in the sky, and everything is going very well."But she continued to hide.
So the captain turned and started to go back. Then the old lady looked out from under the blanket with one eye and said, "I am sorry, young man, but I don't like planes and I am never going to fly again.
But I'll say one thing," She continued kindly, "You and your wife keep your plane very clean!"An old lady had ______.
| A.glasses | B.a blanket over her head |
| C.a coat | D.a basket |
She didn't want to ______.
| A.take it off | B.turn it off |
| C.get on | D.talk about it |
______ spoke to her.
| A.The air hostess | B.The man next to her |
| C.her husband | D.one of her friends |
the old lady had never been ______.before.
| A.abroad | B.home |
| C.in a plane | D.in hospital |
The police do many things for us. They help keep our things and us safe. They help keep cars moving safely. They take care of people who are hurt. Then they see these people get to a doctor.
The police go around town to see that everything is all right. They get around town in many ways. Some of them walk or go by car. In some big cities,some of the police ride on horses. It is strange to see these animals in the street.
As they go around town,the police help people. Sometimes they find lost children. They take the children home. If the police see a fight,they put an end to it right away. Sometimes people will ask the police how to get to a place in town. The police can always tell the people which way to go. They know all the streets and roads well.
Some police stand at crossings. They tell the cars when to go and when to stop. They make sure that the cars do not go too fast. They help children cross the street. They also help people who can't walk too well.
Without the police,our streets would not be safe. Cars might go too fast and hurt people. Lost people might never be found. The police do a good job. We need them. And we should thank them for a job well done.The police do many things for us. They help keep our things and us _____.
| A.warm | B.clean |
| C.quiet | D.safe |
25. How do some of the police get around in some big cities?
| A.By taxi. | B.On horses. |
| C.By bus. | D.On bikes. |
In the text,“put an end to” means “____”.
| A.stop | B.cut | C.kill | D.fly |
The text is mainly talking about the _____ of the police.
| A.life | B.road | C.job | D.day |