It seems that some people go out of their way to get into trouble．That’s more or less what happened the night that Nashville Police officer Floyd Hyde was on duty.
“I was on the way to a personal-injury accident in West Nashville．As I got onto Highway 40，blue lights and sirens(警笛)going.I fell in behind a gold Pontiac Firebird that suddenly seemed to take off quickly down the highway．The driver somehow panicked at the sight of me．He was going more than a hundred miles an hour and began passing cars on the shoulder．”
But Hyde couldn’t go after him．Taking care of injured people is always more important than worrying about speeders，so the officer had to stay on his way to the accident．But he did try to keep the Firebird in sight as he drove，hoping another nearby unit would be able to step in and stop the speeding car．As it turned out，keeping the Firebird in sight was not that difficult．Every turn the Pontiac made was the very turn the officer needed to get to the accident scene.
Hyde followed the Pontiac all the way to his destination(目的地)．At that point he found another unit had already arrived at the accident scene．His help wasn’t needed.Now he was free to try to stop the driver of the Firebird，who by this time had developed something new to panic about．
“Just about that time，” Hyde said，“I saw fire coming out from under that car，with blue smoke and oil going everywhere.He’d blown his engine．Now he had to stop．”
“After I arrested him．I asked him why he was running．He told me he didn’t have a driver’s license(执照)．”
That accident cost the driver of the Firebird plenty---a thousand dollars for the new engine---not to mention the charges for driving without a license，attempting to run away，and dangerous driving．The underlined word“panicked”in Paragraph 2 means .
| A．feared | B．hated | C．excited | D．satisfied |
The driver of the Firebird suddenly speeded down the highway because .
| A．he was racing with another driver on the road |
| B．he realized he had to hurry to the accident scene |
| C．he thought the police officer wanted to stop him |
| D．he wanted to overtake other cars on the shoulder |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．Someone else was taking care of the injured person． |
| B．The Pontiac reached its destination at the accident scene． |
| C．Hyde knew where he was going by following the right car． |
| D．The policeman was running after a speeder on Highway 40 |
Choose the best title for the passage．
| A．Going My Way? | B．Help on the Way? |
| C．Fun All theWay? | D．Losing His Way? |
I’ve loved my mother’s desk since I was just tall enough to see above the top of it as mother sat doing letters. Standing by her chair, looking at the ink bottle, pens and white paper, I decided that the act of writing must be the most wonderful thing in the world.
Years later, during her final illness, mother kept different things for my sister and brother. “But the desk,” she said again, “is for Elizabeth.”
I never saw her angry, never saw her cry. I knew she loved me; she showed it in action. But as a young girl, I wanted heart-to-heart talks between mother and daughter.
They never happened. And a gulf opened between us. I was “too emotional(易动感情的)”. But she lived “on the surface”.
As years passed and I had my own family. I loved my mother and thanked her for our happy family. I wrote to her in careful words and asked her to let me know in any way she chose that she did forgive me.
I posted the letter and waited for her answer, none came.
My hope turned to disappointment, then little interest and, finally, peace. It seemed that nothing happened. I couldn’t be sure that the letter had even got to Mother. I only knew that I had written it, and I could stop trying to make her into someone she was not.
Now the present of her desk told me that she was pleased that writing was my chosen work though she’d never been able to. I cleaned the desk carefully and found some papers inside —a photo of my father and a one-page letter, folded(折叠) and refolded many times.
Give me an answer, my letter asks, in any way you choose, Mother, you always chose the act that speaks louder than words.The writer began to love her mother’s desk _______.
| A．after Mother died |
| B．before she became a writer |
| C．when she was a child |
| D．when mother gave it to her |
The passage shows that _______.
| A．Mother was cold on the surface but kind in her heart to her daughter |
| B．Mother was too serious about everything her daughter had done |
| C．Mother cared much about her daughter in words |
| D．Mother wrote to her daughter in careful words. |
The world “gulf” in the passage means _______.
| A．deep understanding between the old and the young. |
| B．different ideas between the mother and the daughter. |
| C．free talks between mother and daughter. |
| D．part of the sea going far in land. |
What did Mother do with her daughter’s letter asking for forgiveness?
| A．She had never received the letter. |
| B．For years, she often talked about the letter. |
| C．She didn’t forgive her daughter at all in all her life. |
| D．She read the letter again and again till she died. |
What’s the best title of the passage?
| A．My letters to Mother |
| B．Mother and Children |
| C．My Mother’s Desk |
| D．Talks between Mother and me. |
James Cleveland Owens was the son of a farmer and the grandson of black slaves. His family moved to Cleveland when he was 9.There, a school teacher asked the youth his name.
"J.C., "he replied.
She thought he had said "Jesse", and he had a new name.
Owens ran his first race at age 13. After high school, he went to Ohio State University. He had to work part time so as to pay for his education. As a second year student, in the Big Ten games in 1935, he set even more records than he would in the Olympic Games a year later.
A week before the Big Ten meet, Owens accidentally fell down a flight of stairs. His back hurt so much that he could not exercise all week, and he had to be helped in and out of the car that drove him to the meet. He refused to listen to the suggestions that he give up and said he would try, event by event. He did try, and the results are in the record book.
The stage was set for Owens victory at the Olympic Games in Berlin the next year, and his success would come to be regarded as not only athletic but also political. Hitler did not congratulate any of the African American winners.
"It was all right with me, "he said years later. "I didn’t go to Berlin to shake hands with him, anyway."
Having returned from Berlin, he received no telephone calls from the president of his own country, either. In fact, he was not honored by the United States until 1976, four years before his death.
Owens Olympic victories made little difference to him. He earned his living by looking after a school playground, and accepted money to race against cars, trucks, motorcycles and dogs.
"Sure, it bothered me, "he said later. "But at least it was an honest living. I had to eat."
In time, however, his gold medals changed his life. "They have kept me alive over the years, "he once said. "Time has stood still for me. That golden moment dies hard."Owens got his other name "Jesse" when ________.
A. he went to Ohio State University
B. his teacher made fun of him
C. his teacher took "J. C." for "Jesse"
D. he won gold medals in the Big Ten meet In the Big Ten meet，Owens__________.
| A．hurt himself in the back |
| B．succeeded in setting many records |
| C．tried every sports event but failed |
| D．had to give up some events |
We can infer from the text that Owens was treated unfairly in the US at that time because________.
| A．he was not of the right race |
| B．he was the son of a poor farmer |
| C．he did not shake hands with Hitler |
| D．he did not talk to the US president on the phone |
When Owens says "They have kept me alive over the years ", he means that the medals __________.
| A．have been changed for money to help him live on |
| B．have made him famous in the US |
| C．have encouraged him to overcome difficulties in life |
| D．have kept him busy with all kinds of jobs |
What would be the best title for the text?
| A．Jesse Owens, A Great American Athlete |
| B．Golden Moment — A Life time Struggle |
| C．Making A Living As A Sportsman |
| D．How To Be A Successful Athlete |
Boys' schools are the perfect place to teach young men to express their emotions and involve them in activities such as art, dance and music.
Far from the traditional image of a culture of aggressive masculinity (阳刚), the absence of girls gives boys the chance to develop without pressure to conform to a stereotype, a US study says.
Boys at single-sex schools were said to be more likely to get involved in cultural and artistic activities that helped develop their emotional expressiveness, rather than feeling they had to conform to the "boy code" of hiding their emotions to be a "real man".
The findings of the study go against received wisdom that boys do better when taught alongside girls.
Tony Little, headmaster of the British boys-only school, Eton, warned that boys were being failed by the British education system because it had become too focused on girls. He criticized teachers for failing to recognize that boys are actually more emotional than girls.
The research argued that boys often perform badly in mixed schools because they become discouraged when their female peers do better earlier in speaking and reading skills.
But in single-sex schools teachers can tailor lessons to boys' learning style, letting them move around the classroom and getting them to compete in teams to prevent boredom, wrote the study's author, Abigail James, of the University of Virginia.
Teachers could encourage boys to enjoy reading and writing with "boy-focused" approaches such as themes and characters that appeal to them. Because boys generally have more acute vision learn best through touch, and are physically more active, they need to be given "hands-on" lessons where they are allowed to walk around, James found.
Single-sex education also made it less likely that boys would feel they had to conform to a stereotype that men should be "masterful and in charge" in relationships. "In mixed schools boys feel compelled to act like men before they understand themselves well enough to know what that means, " the study reported.The author believes that a single-sex school __________.
| A．forces boys to hide their emotions to be "real men” |
| B．helps to cultivate masculine aggressiveness in boys |
| C．encourages boys to express their emotions more freely |
| D．naturally reinforces in boys the traditional image of a man |
It is commonly believed that in a mixed school boys __________.
| A．perform relatively better |
| B．behave more responsibly |
| C．grow up more healthily |
| D．receive a better education |
What does Tony Little say about the British education system?
| A．It fails more boys than girls academically. |
| B．it focuses more on mixed school education. |
| C．It fails to give boys the attention they need. |
| D．It places more pressure on boys than on girls. |
According to Abigail James, one of the advantages of single-sex schools is __________.
| A．teaching can be tailored to suit the characteristics of boys |
| B．boys can focus on their lessons without being distracted |
| C．boys can choose to learn whatever they are interested in |
| D．teaching can be designed to promote boys' team spirit |
Which of the following is characteristic of boys according to Abigail James' report?
| A．They enjoy being in charge. |
| B．They have sharper vision. |
| C．They conform to stereotypes. |
| D．They are violent and sexist. |
Joanne Rowling, born on 31 July 1965, is an English fiction writer who writes under the pen name J. K. Rowling. Rowling is the author of the Harry Potter fantasy series, which has gained international attention, won multiple awards, and sold over 375 million copies worldwide.
JK Rowling's new novel arrives with the high drama and state secrecy of a royal birth. Its due date is announced in February, and in April the disclosure of its title, The Casual Vacancy, makes international news. The release of the cover image in July commands headlines again, and Fleet Street (英国媒体) commissions (委托) a "design guru" to analyze its mysterious artistic beauty, in search of clues as to what might lie within. Waterstones (英国连锁书店) predicts the novel will be " the bestselling fiction title this year". Literary critics begin to publish preliminary (初步的) reviews, revealing what they think they will think about a book they have not yet even read.
I am required to sign more legal documents than would typically be involved in buying a house before I am allowed to read The Casual Vacancy, under tight security in the London offices of Little, Brown. Even the publishers have been forbidden to read it, and they give me the manuscript carefully, religiously, as though handling a priceless Ming vase. Afterwards, I am instructed never to disclose the address of Rowling's Edinburgh office where the interview will take place.
In the 15 years since she published her first Harry Potter, Rowling has become both universally known and almost unrecognizable. The untidy redhair who used to write in the cafes of Leith has slowly transformed into a shiny fashionable lady, one who is beyond recognition behind wealth and control. Once a penniless single mother, she became the first person on earth to make $ 1 billion by writing books, but her rare public appearances suggested a faint ice maiden quality.
Rowling is completely relaxed about this arrangement. Warm and energetic, quick to laugh, she chatters so freely that her publicist gets nervous and tells her to lower her voice. " Am I speaking too loud?" She doesn't look a bit concerned. "Well, I can't get passionate and whisper!" When I tell her I loved the book, her arms shoot up in celebration. "Oh my God! I'm so happy! That's so amazing to hear. Thank you so much! You've made me incredibly happy. Oh my God!" Anyone listening would take her for a debut author, meeting her first ever fan.
In a way, that's what she is. Rowling has written seven Harry Potter books, and sold more than 450m copies, but her first novel for adults is unlike them in every respect.
"Obviously I need to be in some form of vehicle to have a decent idea, " she laughs. Having dreamed up Potter on a train, "This time I was on a plane. And I thought: local election! And I just knew. I had that totally physical response you get to an idea that you know will work. It's a rush of adrenaline (肾上腺素), it's chemical. I had it with Harry Potter and I had it with this. So that's how I know. "The "design guru" in Paragraph 2 is probably __________.
| A．a publisher | B．a reader | C．a writer | D．an expert |
Why was the author required to sign so many legal documents before reading the book?
| A．Because it's a commercial secret before the book is published. |
| B．Because publishers are afraid the author is a commercial spy. |
| C．Because the author is so dishonest that publishers can't trust him. |
| D．Because the author is involved in buying a house. |
From the passage, we can learn the following facts about Rowling EXCEPT that __________.
| A．she used to write stories in the cafes. |
| B．she often makes public appearance after she is famous. |
| C．she was very poor before she became well-known. |
| D．she has become a wealthy lady with good quality. |
According to the interview with Rowling, we can infer that she is __________.
| A．aggressive and energetic | B．quiet and easygoing |
| C．enthusiastic and lovely | D．modest and shy |
The author writes the passage mainly to __________.
| A．introduce JK Rowling and her new book |
| B．describe great changes in JK Rowling |
| C．advocate readers to buy Harry Potter |
| D．tell readers the contents of the new book |
Parents need to be good role models to help their children make sensible financial decisions, according to Adam Hancock and his team, from East Caronlina University in the US. Their work highlights that parents who argue about finances contribute to increasing credit card debt among their children during their students years. Their work is published online in Springer's Journal of Family and Economic Issues.
Credit card debt among college students has been a growing concern for researchers and policymakers over the last decade. In addition, there is growing concern among educators that more students are dropping out of school, not because of academic failure, but because of financial reasons, and credit card especially.
Hancock and colleagues' study is the first to examine how parental interactions, and financial knowledge and attitudes may have a cumulative effect (累积效应) on the number of credit cards students own and their level of credit card debt.
The researchers analyzed data for 420 undergraduate students from seven different American universities, who took part in the College Student Financial Literacy Survey. According to the online survey, nearly two-thirds of students had a credit card, and nearly a third had more than one. Those students who reported that their parents argued about finances were more likely to have more than two cards than the students whose parents who did not argue about finances.
In terms of debt, those students who had two or more credit cards were nearly three times more likely to report having credit card debt over $500.
The researchers conclude, "It is clear that the influence of parents cannot be neglected. Researchers, educators and policymakers should work in finding effective ways to increase the positive financial behaviors for college students. We need to help students learn financial skills and establish healthy financial attitudes at earlier ages to prevent poor financial habits from taking root. "In Adam Hancock's research, student's credit card debt is related to their __________.
| A．knowledge | B．concerns | C．school | D．parents |
When college students have credit card debt, they may __________.
| A．quit school | B．fail in their exams |
| C．study financial knowledge | D．have more credit cards |
What can we infer from Paragraph 3?
| A．More than 400 students in a university took the survey. |
| B．The survey was conducted with the paper questionnaire. |
| C．Nearly all the students in this survey have credit cards. |
| D．Students have fewer cards if their parents argue more. |
If you have two or more credit cards, you are more likely to __________.
| A．get wealthy | B．have argument |
| C．buy more things | D．become in debt |
As a student, what can you learn from the passage?
| A．We need to turn to our parents when we have credit card debt. |
| B．We should build correct financial attitudes when we are young. |
| C．We shouldn't have credit cards so that we can avoid argument. |
| D．We can have more credit cards to make life more comfortable. |