When you are far away from home for the first time and have a lot to adjust to，you can't do it alone. However independent you are，it is good to have a roommate during your first year.
Living with someone helps ease your loneliness. Sure it may seem appealing to be able to play your music and turn up your TV as loud as you want, but coming home to an empty room every day can be depressing. If you have a bad day, you may want to talk to someone.
Friends are great sources of venting (宣泄), but friends can't always be there. Even worse, they may be selfcentered and show no interest in your problem. It's not that roommates aren't like this, but even just small talk can help you feel better.
Having a roommate teaches you how to get along with people and settle conflict. You two should set up rules immediately and discuss what to do when there is conflict. If you two don't like each other，you still study，relax，and sleep in the same room. You must find a way to get along.
Finally，having a roommate exposes (使接触) you to different ways of living. Your roommate may come from a different city，and have different living habits. He or she also has different interests and personalities. You don't have to end up liking the same things your roommate does，but try to learn something different. You will be surrounded by many different people in college and have the chance to try things you never have before. Why not start learning from your roommate？
Having a roommate gives you the skills and personal background you will need to utilize (利用) when you are out on your own. Make the most of living with a stranger and besides，there will be plenty of opportunities for you to have your own room later in your college years.Who are probably the intended readers of the passage？
| A．University teachers. |
| B．Students who are not independent. |
| C．Students in the first year of college. |
| D．Students who will graduate from college soon. |
From the passage，we can learn that .
| A．roommates will become good friends in the end |
| B．there may be disagreements between roommates |
| C．students can choose those they like as their roommates |
| D．those with similar interests can become roommates |
How is the passage organized？
The purpose of the passage is to .
| A．tell the importance of friends |
| B．compare friends with roommates |
| C．encourage students to find a roommate |
| D．state the different ways of living |
| Title |
Time |
Event |
Grandmother Student |
today |
An 83-year-old great grandmother received a bachelor’s degree(学士学位) from South-Eastern University today, more than 50 years after she took her first college course. |
| Early Spring Storm |
last night |
An early spring heavy snow dumped 18 inches of snow on the city in less than six hours last night. |
| Two Men Win Freedom |
today |
Two men picked up for disorderly conduct(不法行为) won their freedom today when they helped police officers save 20 persons from burning North Side apartment building. |
| Henley Street Bridge Closed |
On Friday |
The Henley Street Bridge over the Tennessee will be closed at 8:00 on Friday, a State Highway official said today. |
| Husband Kills Wife |
today |
Just 15 minutes after he shot and killed his unfriendly wife, a 22-year-old truck driver jumped to his death from the State Street Bridge. |
From the first piece of news we know that ______.
| A．it took the old woman over 50 years to study at South-Eastern University. |
| B．the great grandmother was the oldest who received a bachelor’s degree. |
| C．the 83-year-old woman’s story surprised everyone. |
| D．the 83-year-old woman has a strong will. |
The underlined word “dumped” means______.
| A．fell | B．left | C．hit | D．lasted |
In the third piece of news, “picked up” means ______.
| A．given a ride | B．saved from danger |
| C．freed | D．caught |
Which of the following is right according to the last piece of news?
| A．The wife was a 22-year-old truck driver. |
| B．The wife was shot after her husband died. |
| C．Shortly after having shot his wife, the young truck driver finished himself. |
| D．The wife died, but the husband didn’t. |
Which is TRUE according to the news above?
| A．A person who is about 70 years old can get a bachelor’s degree. |
| B．It never snows heavily at night in spring. |
| C．There were only 20 persons living in North Side apartment building. |
| D．Maybe today is Wednesday. |
One day Mrs. Perry said to her husband, Jack, there is a meeting of our ladies’ club at Mrs. Young’s house at lunch time today. And I want to go to it. I’ll leave you some food for your lunch. Is that all right?”
“Oh, yes,” her husband answered, “that’s quite all right. What are you going to leave for my lunch?”
“This tin of fish.” Mrs. Perry said. “And there are some cold boiled potatoes and some beans here, too.”
“Good,” Mr. Perry answered. “I’ll have a good lunch.”
So Mrs. Perry went to her meeting. All the ladies had lunch at Mrs. Young’s house , and at three o’clock she came home.
“Was your fish nice?” asked she.
“Yes, but my feet are hurting,” he answered.
“Why are they hurting?”
“Well, the words on the tin were Open the tin and stand in hot water for five minutes.”Which of the following is not true?
| A．Mrs. Perry arrived at Mrs. Young’s before lunch. |
| B．Mr. Perry had a good lunch. |
| C．Mrs. Perry wanted to test her husband. |
| D．Mr. Perry liked fish. |
Jack had his feet hurt _______.
| A．when he was opening the tin |
| B．when he was helping himself to the fish |
| C．before he opened the tin |
| D．after he opened the tin |
“Open the tin and stand in hot water for five minutes” means _______.
| A．you should open the tin and stand in hot water for 5 minutes |
| B．you should open the tin but not stand in hot water for 5 minutes |
| C．you should not open the tin but stand in hot water for 5 minutes |
| D．you should open the tin and let it stand in hot water for 5 minutes |
In one way of thinking, failure is part of life. In another way, failure may be a way towards success. The “spider-story” is often told. Robert Bruce, leader of the Scots in the 13th century, was hiding in a cave from the English. He watched a spider making a web(网). The spider tried to reach across a rough place in the rock. He tried six times. On the seventh time he made it and went on to make his web. Bruce is said to have been encouraged by this and to have gone on to defeat the English. Edison, the inventor of the light bulb, made hundreds of models that failed before he found the right way to make one. Once he was asked why he kept on trying to make a new type of battery when he had failed so often, he replied, “Failure? I have no failure. Now I know 50,000 ways it won’t work.”
So what? First, always think about your failure. What caused it? Were conditions right? Were you in top form yourself? What can you change so things will go right next time?
Second, is the goal you’re trying to reach the right one? Try to do some thinking about what your real goals may be. Think about this question, “If I do succeed in this, where will it get me?” This may help you prevent failure in things you shouldn’t be doing anyway.
The third thing to keep in mind about failure is that it’s a part of life. Learn to “live with yourself” even though you may have failed.This passage deals with _____.
| A．failure and success |
| B．two sides of failure |
| C．the “spider-story” |
| D．the invention of light bulb |
In the first paragraph the writer tells mainly about _____.
| A．the value of failure | B．how people fail |
| C．famous failures | D．how not to fail |
The thing the writer does not tell you to do to deal with failure is _____.
| A．check out your goals to see if they are right for you |
| B．think about failure as part of your life |
| C．think about failure to find out what went wrong |
| D．keep away from things that are beyond you |
Even if we have failed we should _____.
| A．learn to forget it | B．learn to remember it |
| C．learn to enjoy it | D．learn to accept it |
| Writer/ Time |
Topic: Who’s a better singer, Andy Lau (刘德华) or Jacky Cheung (张学友)? |
| Jim 8-15-2006 5:25 pm. |
Some people say Jacky is the best Chinese singer. I don’t think so! Andy is the best. I went to his concert last year. It was so wonderful, I almost cried! OK, I did cry, but that’s because Andy is so handsome! |
| Tom 9-3-2006 4:38 pm. |
I disagree with Jim. Andy sounds like every other singer. His voice is nothing special. On the other hand, Jacky’s voice is unique, and his songs are so romantic! |
| Linda 9-10-2006 8:54 pm. |
I think they’re about the same. But Andy is a better actor. I’ve seen almost all of his movies. Remember the one where he was an airplane pilot, and his plane crashed near a farm? I love that movie! |
| John 9-16-2006 10:25 pm. |
I also think Jacky is a better singer. I prefer his Cantonese songs. Maybe they sound better because Cantonese is his first language. |
| Tom 10-2-2006 10:12 am. |
I agree. Jacky’s Cantonese songs are better than his Mandarin songs. (Though, I still like all his songs!) |
Who likes Andy Lau the best? __________.
| A．Jim | B．Tom |
| C．Linda | D．John |
Why did Jim cry? Because ___________.
| A．she was sad at a concert. |
| B．she had a broken heart. |
| C．she was angry at Jacky Cheung |
| D．she thought Andy Lau was very good looking |
Why does John think Jacky’s Cantonese songs sound the best? Because _________.
| A．Jacky has no experience singing in Mandarin |
| B．it’s his native language |
| C．his mandarin pronunciation is bad |
| D．Jacky’s Mandarin songs are boring |
Which of the following is TRUE? __________
| A．Nobody likes Andy’s movies. |
| B．Tom has the same opinion as John. |
| C．Tom thinks Andy’s voice is more special than Jacky’s. |
| D．Jim has never seen an Andy Lau concert. |
I had the meanest mother in the whole world. While other kids ate candy for breakfast, I had to have porridge, eggs or toast. When others had Cokes and candy for lunch, I had to eat a sandwich. But at least I wasn’t alone when I was sad. My sister and two brothers had the same mean(刻薄的) mother as I did.
My mother preferred to know where we were all the time. She had to know who our friends were and where we were going. We had to clean clothes and take a bath every day. The other kids got to wear the same clothes for days. We could not lie in bed “sick” in order to miss school.
The worst is yet to come. We had to be in bed by nine each night and get up at eight the next morning. We couldn’t sleep till noon like our friends. So while they slept, my mother was brave to break the Child Labour Law. She made us work. We had to wash dishes, make beds, and learn to cook and all sorts of things at home. I believe she lay awake thinking up all things for us to do.
My mother was a complete failure as a mother. Two of her children received higher education. None of us have ever been arrested (taken away by the police) or divorced. She forced us to grow up into educated and honest adults. I am trying to raise my three children this way. I am filled with pride when my children call me “mean”. Why? Because now I thank God every day for giving me the meanest mother in the world.How many children does the writer’s mother have?
| A．Four | B．Two | C．Three | D．Six |
What can you infer(推测) from the passage?
| A．My family was rich, so I ate a sandwich for lunch. |
| B．My mother was a great success. We love her. |
| C．If we didn’t want to go to school, the best way was to pretend to be sick. |
| D．We needn’t share the housework at home. |
The best title for this passage may be________.
| A．My childhood | B．The meanest mother |
| C．I do as my mother did | D．Unforgettable memories |