Every culture has a recognized (公认的) point when a child becomes an adult, when rules must be followed and tests passed.
In China, although teenagers can get their ID cards at 16, many only see themselves as an adult when they are 18. In the US, where everyone drives, the main step to the freedom of adult life is learning to drive. At 16, American teens take their driving test. When they have th
eir license, they drive into the grown-up world.
“Nobody wants to ride the bus to school,” said Eleanor Fulham, 17. She 
remembered the pressure, especially from kids from richer families. “It’s like you’re not cool if you don’t have a car,
” she said.
According to recent research, 41% of 16 to 19-year-olds in the US own cars, up from 23% in 1985. Although, most of these cars are bought by parents, some teens get part-time jobs to help pay.
Not all families will buy cars for their children. In cities with subways (地铁) and limited parking, some teenagers don’t want them. But in rich suburban (郊区的) areas without subways, and where bicycles are more for fun than transportation, it is strange for a teenager not to have a car.
But police say 16-year-olds have almost three times more accidents than 18 and 19-year-olds. This has made many parents think carefully before letting their kids drive.
Julie Sussman, of Virginia, decided that her son Chad, 15, will wait until he is 17.
Chad said he has accepted his parents’ decision, although it has caused some teasing (奚落) from his friends. “They say that I am unlucky,” he said. “But I’d rather 
be alive than driving, and I don’t really trust my friends on the road either.”
In China as more families get cars, more 18-year-olds learn to drive. Will this become a big step to becoming an adult?The story is mainly about _______.
| A．the recognized point between childhood and adulthood |
| B．American teens want to drive a car when they turn 16 |
C．whether teenager s should have a car |
| D．the fact that it’s safer for teens to drive a car at an younger age |
Which of the following is not one of the reasons that kids want to have a car?
| A．With a car, it would be easy to move around. |
| B．A great number of teenagers have cars. |
| C．Having a car would mean more excitement. |
| D．Parents’ support for kids to have a car at an early age. |
.Which of the following is not true?
| A．Some of Chad’s friends have cars. |
| B．When deciding whether to buy a car for their kids, safety weighs heavily on many parents’ mind. |
C．In the US, 16 is consid ered the point between childhood and adulthood. |
| D．More kids from cities own cars than those from the countryside. |
The word “license”
in Paragraph 2 means closest to ______.
| A．driving permit | B．ID card | C．learner’s permit | D．test result |
Parents should stop blaming themselves because there’s not a lot they can do about it. I mean the teenager problem. Whatever you do or however you choose to deal with it, at certain times a wonderful, reasonable and helpful child will turn into a terrible animal.
I’ve seen friends deal with it in all kinds of different ways. One strict mother insisted that her son, right from a child, should stand up whenever anyone entered the room, open doors and shake hands like a gentleman. I saw him last week when I called round. Sprawling himself (懒散地躺) on the sofa in full length, he made no attempt to turn off the loud TV he was watching as I walked in, and his greeting was no more than a quick glance at me. His mother was ashamed. “I don't know what to do with him these days,” she said. “He’s forgotten all the manners we taught him.”
He hasn’t forgotten them. He’s just decided that he’s not going to use them. She confessed (坦白) that she would like to come up behind him and throw him down from the sofa onto the floor.
Another good friend of mine let her two daughters climb all over the furniture, reach across the table, stare at me and say, “I don’t like your dress; it’s ugly.” One of the daughters has recently been driven out of school. The other has left home.
“Where did we go wrong?” her parents are now very sad. Probably nowhere much. At least, no more than the rest of that unfortunate race, parents.This text is most probably written by ______.
| A．a doctor for mental health problems |
| B．a headmaster of a middle school |
| C．a parent with teenage children |
| D．a specialist in teenager studies |
The underlined word “it” in the second paragraph refers to ______.
| A．the advice that parents want their children to follow |
| B．the change from good to bad that’s seen in a child |
| C．the opinion that a child has of his parents |
| D．the way that parents often blame themselves |
From the second example we can infer that the parents of the two daughters ______.
| A．pay no attention to them |
| B．feel helpless to do much about them |
| C．have come to hate them |
| D．are too busy to look after them |
What is the author's opinion about the sudden change in teenage children?
| A．Parents should work more closely with school teachers. |
| B．Parents should pay still sore attention to the change. |
| C．Parents have no choice but to try to accept it. |
| D．Parents are at fault for the change in their children. |
A child’s birthday party doesn’t have to be a hassle; it can be a basket of fun, according to Beth Anaclerio, an Evaston mother of two, ages 4 and 18 months.
“Having a party at home usually requires a lot of running around on the part of the parents, and often the birthday boy or girl gets lost in wild excitement. But it really doesn’t have to be that way,” said Anaclerio. Last summer, Anaclerio and her friend Jill Carlisle, a Northbrook mother of a 2-year –old, founded a home party-planning business called “A Party in a Basket.” Their goal is to help parents and children share in the fun part of party planning, like choosing the subject or making a cake, while they take care of everything.
Drawing on their experiences as mothers, they have created 10 ready-to-use, home party packages. Everything a family needs to plan a party, except the cake and ice cream, is delivered to the home in a large basket.
“Our parties are aimed for children 2 to 10, ” Anaclerio said, “and they’re very interactive （互动） and creative in that they build a sense of drama based on a subject. For example, at the Soda Shoppe party the guests become waiters and waitresses and build wonderful ice cream creations.”
The standard $ 200 package for eight children includes a basket filled with invitations, gifts, games and prizes, paper goods, a party planner and the like. For more information, call Anaclerio at 708-864-6584 or Carlisle at 708-205-9141.The main purpose of writing this text is ________.
| A．to share information about party planning |
| B．to introduce the joys of a birthday party |
| C．to announce a business plan |
| D．to sell a service |
The most important idea behind the kind of party planning described here is that ________.
| A．parents are spared the trouble of sending invitations |
| B．guests play a part in the preparation of a party |
| C．it brings parents and children closer together |
| D．it provides a subject of conversation |
What does the underlined word “hassle”(paragraph 1) probably mean ?
| A．a situation causing difficulty or trouble |
| B．a plan requiring careful thought |
| C．a party designed by specialists |
| D．a demand made by guests |
Which of the following is most likely to be a party planner?
One period of our lives when better results are demanded of us is, strangely enough, childhood. Despite being young we are expected to achieve good grades, stay out of trouble, make friends at school, do well on tests, perform chores (杂务)at home and so on. It’s not easy.
Likeable children enjoy many advantages, including the ability to deal more easily with stresses of growing up.In her book Understanding Child Stress, Dr. Carolyn Leonard states that children who are likeable and optimistic are able to gain support from others. This leads to focus and resilience（适应力）, the ability to recover from or adjust early to life stress. Much research shows that resilience has enabled children to succeed in school, avoid drug abuse, and develop a healthy self-awareness(自我意识).
Why does a likeable child more easily handle stress and do better in his or her life? Because likeability helps create what’s known as a positive feedback loop(回馈圈). The positive feelings you want to see in other people are returned to you, creating constant encouragement and motivation to deal with the daily stress of life.
This feedback loop continues into adulthood. To return once again to the example of teaching, learning becomes easier with a likeable personality. Michael Delucchi of the University of Hawaii reviewed dozens of studies to determine if likeable teachers received good ratings because of their likeability or because they in fact taught well. Delucchi found that “Students who perceive(察觉) a teacher as likeable, in contrast to(比照) those who do not, may be more attentive to the information that the teacher delivers and they’ll work harder on assignments, and they will learn more.”
You may have noticed this pattern in your own life when you try to give some advice. The more positive your relationship with that person, the more he or she seems to listen, and the more you feel certain that that person has heard you and intends to act on your words.The writer implies in the first paragraph that __________.
| A．life is not easy for every one of us |
| B．children are expected much than we usually think |
| C．better education results in smarter children |
| D．to be a likable child is almost impossible |
According to Dr. Leonard, likeable children __________.
| A．will work harder on assignments and learn more |
| B．can deal more easily with stress independently |
| C．can achieve more and understand themselves better |
| D．are always optimistic and ready to help those in need |
The main purpose of the studies done by Michael Delucchi is to find __________.
| A．how a likeable teacher’s teaching style is formed |
| B．how a teacher’s likeability gains popularity |
| C．if a likeable teacher draws more attention |
| D．if a likeable teacher has a positive personality |
The passage aims at proving that __________.
| A．likeable people give better advice |
| B．likeable people do better in their childhood |
| C．social creatures enjoy more advantages |
| D．likeable people do better in life generally |
The royal family is a part of British history and cultural identity.
Up until the 17th century, people believed that the British king or queen had a “divine(天赐的)right” to rule. This was the idea that God chose the king or queen and that he or she was therefore above the law. However, this idea was challenged during the English Civil War, when King Charles the First was put in prison and then killed in 1649.
So what role does the British royal family have today?
The Queen is head of the UK and the Commonwealth. She has important formal duties that go with her different titles. As Head of State, for example, she represents the UK on visits abroad and invites other world leaders to visit the UK；as Head of the Armed Forces in name, only she can declare when the UK is at war or when a war is over. She has to sign many government and Commonwealth documents every day.
Although the royal family does the work for the UK, there are British people called“anti-monarchists(反君主制者)”who do not believe there should be a royal family. One criticism(批评意见)is that the British people should not have to pay for the royal family with their taxes(税).
Today, the royal family works hard to be relevant(相关的)in the modern world. The Queen still gives a speech to the nation on television at Christmas, but it gets less and less formal every year；now it is even available as a podcast(播客).
In 2005, after graduating from university, Prince William spent time teaching English in Uruguay, the sort of work many ordinary young British people do in their gap years. What can be concluded from the first two paragraphs?
| A．The British king or queen is considered above the law. |
| B．The English Revolution put an end to the British royal family in 1649. |
| C．The British king or queen is no longer believed to rule by divine right. |
| D．The royal family didn’t play an important role in Britain in the 17 th century. |
Which of the following is among the formal duties of the Queen?
| A．Traveling around the UK. |
| B．Declaring when the world is at war. |
| C．Inviting other leaders to have dinner with her. |
| D．Signing Commonwealth documents every day. |
With the example of Prince William in the last paragraph, the author intends to show that.
| A．Prince William is very popular in the UK |
| B．the royal family is trying to connect better with ordinary people |
| C．Prince William has made an effort to win young people’s admiration |
| D．many young British people do voluntary work |
It can be inferred from the passage that ___________.
| A．the royal family doesn’t have to pay taxes |
| B．the British people are all in favor of the royal family |
| C．the British people can talk to the Queen through a podcast |
| D．the royal family attacks republicans through media and press |
From school to band practice, the Venturi Eclectic is an Earth-friendly way to get where you want to go. This battery-powered, zero-emission (meaning it doesn't pollute the air) vehicle runs mainly on renewable energy. Solar panels on the Eclectic's roof absorb sun rays when you're driving. On windy days, you can connect a machine to the car's roof that collects energy from the wind while you're parked. The Eclectic's top speed is 28 miles an hour; the battery lasts for 31 miles before it needs to be recharged. Zipping (迅速行进) around the neighborhood has never been better.
Here's an eco-friendly way to tell time: Simply fill the Bedol Water-powered Clock's tank (箱) with water, add some lemon juice, and the clock will display the time without the need for environmentally harmful batteries. There are two sets of metal electrodes(电极) inside the water tank. Water contains ions (离子) that carry negative and positive charges. These ions complete a charge between the electrodes, creating enough energy to power the clock. Just refill the tank every few weeks, and this clock will keep on ticking.
You’re having a blast at your friend’s birthday party. But when it's time to bring out the cake, everyone crowds around, blocking your view. No worries. Throw the Triops into the air, and this clever camera catches the view from above. The Triops can take three pictures at once, each from different angles. You can also record sounds and command the Triops to start shooting (拍摄)whenever it hears that noise. That's one smart camera.According to the passage, the Venturi Eclectic .
| A．is popular with businessmen |
| B．is suitable for a long trip |
| C．has only a little gas emission |
| D．can turn wind into energy |
What is the common characteristic of the Venturi Eclectic and the Bedol Water-powered Clock?
| A．They don't need batteries. |
| B．They can be powered by water. |
| C．They are difficult to operate. |
| D．They are environmentally friendly. |
The underlined phrase “having a blast” in the last paragraph probably means .
| A．looking at a picture | B．recording sounds |
| C．enjoying yourself | D．blowing out a candle |