It was a week before Christmas, but things were far from cheery． Our task was to deliver as many boxes of food as possible to those in need in Camden, New Jersey． There were no Christmas carolers （唱颂歌的人） walking these streets that were lined with boarded-up （用木板封住的） houses and broken windows． Mothers kept their children close as they hurried down the streets． It was mid-afternoon, but even the bright sun couldn't warm this place．
Red tickets in the windows marked which houses we were to visit． Our white truck stopped in front of one townhouse and our group knocked on the door． In our arms were boxes filled with ham, bread and other essentials to make the perfect Christmas dinner． Four small faces glanced through the curtains and one exhausted mom answered the door． She seemed embarrassed to be caught in her nightgown with undone hair． She was in her mid-20s, but her rough skin and tired eyes added years．
"Sacred Heart food delivery service," I smiled． "Where can we put this for you?"
She pointed and as we entered the house, I noticed the conditions they lived in． The children climbed around, wearing only diapers （尿布）． There were no carpets, only cold concrete beneath our feet． There was no Christmas tree or decorations． My heart sank． It was so cold, and I found it hard to believe that this was reality for this family． We set the boxes down and the mother grabbed my hand．
"You don't know how much of a blessing this is to me and my family," she said, crying． "We are just getting by．" I opened my arms and gave her a hug．
"Happy holidays!" I replied before I headed out the door． I realized how warm I felt inside．
This was 
unlike anything I had ever experienced． We cannot help what family we are born into, but we can help each other．From Paragraph 1, we can infer that Camden may be a place where ________．
| A．the living conditions were terrible | B．people had no belief |
C．there was no sign of  life |
D．little sunshine was received |
What impression did the woman leave on the author?
| A．She was shy and cold to visitors． | B．She was confident and energetic． |
| C．She wasn't good at dressing herself up． | D．She looked much older than her age． |
By saying "We are just getting by", the woman meant __________．
| A．they were waiting for help | B．they were looking for food and clothing |
| C．they were going to move away | D．they were living a very poor life |
The passage mainly tells us that _______________．
| A．the poor can also help others | B．assisting the poor needs actions |
| C．people should help each other | D．having more children causes poverty |
To American visitors, Iceland is a very interesting country, partly because it is different in so many ways from what he or she is used to seeing at home. There are quite a few things that are not done, or that do not exist on the island - quite a few "No's".
There is no pollution, for instance. No dogs are permitted in Reykjavik, the capital. There is no television on Thursdays or during the entire month of July, and only three hours of black-and-white TV the rest of the time. There is no hard liquor on Wednesdays and no beer at any time. There are no handguns; only one jail of thirty-five cells（牢房） in the entire land – an admirable figure, even for a small country of 313,376 people.
There is no army, air force or navy. There is no tipping for anything. There are no large stores open on Saturdays or Sundays. Since Iceland is situated just under the Arctic Circle, there is no darkness in summer and do daylight in winter. But thanks to Gulf Stream, the climate is rather mild, with temperatures ranging from 34 degrees Fahrenheit to 52 degrees in July.
The rules on television, liquor, and guns are the result of governmental decision. But the absence of pollution is due in great part to the fact that Iceland gets its power from the enormous geyser（间歇泉）and the thousands of hot springs that come out of the ground. They provide all the energy needed by the country. In fact, Iceland uses only 3 percent of all its available power.
Iceland has been described as a democratic (民主的) independent country where more fish are caught and more books published per person than anywhere else in the world. The Icelanders have always felt a particular love for literature. They composed their first works in the ninth and tenth centuries AD. These works were poems and tales about the kings, heroes, and heroines of Iceland and Norway. At first the stories were memorized and passed from generation to generation. The Icelanders have never stopped writing ever since. “Rather shoeless than bookless," they proudly say. American visitors enjoy visiting Iceland probably because.
| A．no dogs are permitted in the capital |
| B．the police do not carry handguns |
| C．it is very different from America |
| D．the climate is rather mild. |
The following statements are true EXCEPT.
| A．there are no soldiers in Iceland |
| B．the Icelanders don't drink beer |
| C．there is no service fee of any kind |
| D．there are no crimes in Iceland |
There is no pollution in Iceland mainly because .
| A．Iceland uses only 3 percent of all its available power |
| B．the Icelanders use hot water from the ground below as their energy |
| C．it is located just under the Arctic Circle |
| D．it is a democratic independent country |
"Rather shoeless than bookless" means.
| A．they regard books more important than shoes. |
| B．they would rather have shoes on than write books |
| C．they prefer traveling to reading |
| D．they prefer not to have shoes or books |
Have you ever thought of taking a train and having an adventure？Riding the train can be a real adventure. That is how I feel every time I take Amtrak. I often take a four-hour trip to visit my children. Every time I take this trip I never know what will happen.
Last week when I was on the train, there was a man sitting by himself in the back of the train carrying on a mobile phone conversation—in another language. It was loud and disturbed most of the people on the train. I think it was annoying.
Fortunately I sat next to a wonderful old lady who was taking a two-day trip by train. She said her two daughters were worried at the thought of driving for three days to reach her home, although she had no trouble driving. The train ride was the only choice for her. She loved to look out of the window and watch the world go by on the train.
She was fun to talk to and asked me when my children started being parents. That is a very good question. Both of us are old and have children. She asked that same question from time to time.
There are always many people on the train from all walks of life, different countries, and many languages. Riding the train is a great way to increase your knowledge and learn all kinds of cultures. If you get hungry, you can buy food in the food car at any time. If you need to use the restroom, there is always one for you.
It surely beats driving the car, which has to stop for food and restrooms. And it is better than taking the bus.According to the passage, the purpose of the author’s train ride was ______.
| A．to do business | B．to see her children |
| C．to visit places of interest | D．to see her old friends |
In the author’s opinion, on the train Amtrak ______.
| A．the services are quite good | B．the food is terribly expensive |
| C．all the passengers are polite | D．all the passengers are American |
What is the best title for this passage?
| A．A painful experience on the train | B．A wonderful lady |
| C．Train ride—a cultural experience | D．The history of Amtrak |
Because of the change in the American public school system over the last several years, now many parents choose to home-school their children. There are many reasons behind this. Let’s take a look at a few of them.
For some parents, they have religious (宗教的) reasons for home-schooling. The public school system does not have religious teachings, so these parents want to put religion into the children’s daily school activities. This might include teaching religion-based courses rather than coursework that is taught in public schools.
For some parents, they do not feel that their local school system offers their children the best learning opportunities. So they want to take matters into their own hands. This may be because the local school has low educational standards (标准) or for some other reason the parents think it necessary to take their children out of the system. Sometimes the parents just feel the children will get a better education at home.
Some parents may not be rich enough to send their children to a private school, so the next best thing in their eyes is home-schooling. Thus they can teach their children what they like.
One should remember that the laws about home-schooling vary from state to state. In some states, the parents are required to hand in monthly attendance records (出席记录) to their local school system. What’s more, most states require state testing at certain periods such as the CRCT.The writer wrote this passage mainly to _______.
| A．advise parents to home-school their children |
| B．explain why some parents choose to home-school their children |
| C．tell us the advantages and disadvantages of home-schooling |
| D．praise home-schooling and private schools |
Paragraph 3 tells us that some parents choose home-schooling because ______.
| A．school teachers are not strict with their children |
| B．their children don’t do well in their studies at school |
| C．their children don’t like going to school |
| D．they are not satisfied with the school education |
What does the underlined word “vary” in the last paragraph mean?
| A．Increase | B．Change | C．Spread | D．Keep |
How many reasons for home-schooling are mentioned in the passage?
| A．2 | B．4 | C．3 | D．5 |
Babysitter(保姆) Wanted
I am seeking a babysitter for my 6-month-old son. A few hours on Saturdays and Sundays to help me and then other times as needed. He or she should be over 18, responsible, loving, warm, and have some experience in caring for babies. The pay is $10 an hour.
If this sounds like a good job to you, please reply torebecharv@aol.com or call 800-4964.
Office Manager Wanted
Our company is looking for a full-time experienced manager to run the business. Strong skills in organization and business management are required for this position. Also, he or she should be familiar with computers.
Please reply to jim@californiaaquatics.com or call 800-6978 to apply.
Waiter/ Waitress Wanted
A restaurant is looking for an experienced waiter / waitress. Knowledge of wines and experience in dining are necessary. Must work well under pressure and understand the basics of fine dining and customer service.
If you’re interested, please contact us at job-tkupe-1329358152@craigslist.org to apply.
This is a part-time job.
Office Cleaner Wanted
Looking for a Part-time job? A position in the Mississauga area needs an office cleaner! Part-time 4 hours a day from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm.
Some experience is necessary. Pay: $15 per hour
Reply to: job-p3b7u-1365632206@craigslist.org. or call 800-8197.Which of the following position is a full-time job?
| A．Babysitter. | B．Office manager. |
| C．Waiter / waitress. | D．Office cleaner. |
If you want to apply for the job as a babysitter, you should send an email to ______.
| A．job-p3b7u-1365632206@craigslist.org |
| B．job-tkupe-1329358152@craigslist.org |
| C．jim@californiaaquatics.com |
| D．rebecharv@aol.com |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．The office cleaner has to work three hours each day. |
| B．One can apply for a waiter or waitress by telephone. |
| C．Experience is necessary for all these four jobs. |
| D．A babysitter earns $5 more than an office cleaner per hour. |
Which of the following is necessary for a waiter / waitress?
| A．Being familiar with computers. | B．Having knowledge of wines. |
| C．Knowing more about menus. | D．Working well with others. |
I woke up late and had breakfast in a hurry. I had never been late and didn’t want my boss to be unsatisfied.
However, it seemed that the day wasn’t a lucky one for me from the very second I left my flat. The moment I wanted to rush downstairs, one of my stiletto heels (细高跟) broke. I had to return to change my red shoes. I also had to change my purse and other little things that I had tried to match with the shoes. I was sure I would be late for work.
On my way to work I had to wait for over half an hour because of an accident. I had no choice but to wait. I phoned my boss and he told me that it was no problem, but he needed me for the meeting with the Japanese clients (客户) that morning.
Finally, I arrived at the office one hour later. I had to keep calm and be fresh for the meeting to make the clients sure that our plan was the best for their future business project. However, I left the plan I had made the night before at home and was going to make a presentation (介绍) about it to the clients. I was about to get angry when I realized that I had a copy of it in my office.
At last, the meeting came to an end and it turned out to be successful. But I have to say that I had a terrible day, full of incidents.Which of the following is NOT the reason of the writer being late for her work?
| A．She got up late in the morning. |
| B．She changed her purse and other little things. |
| C．One of her shoe heels broke. |
| D．She had a traffic accident on the way to work. |
According to the passage, what could we learn about the writer?
| A．Her boss was very angry with her. |
| B．She often arrived at her office on time. |
| C．She left her plan on the bus. |
| D．She was nervous at the meeting. |
What did the clients think of the writer’s presentation?
| A．Dull. | B．Just so-so. | C．Excellent. | D．Terrible. |
Which old saying could be used to describe the writer’s incidents?
| A．Failure is the mother of success. |
| B．A good beginning makes a good ending. |
| C．Where there is a will, there is a way. |
| D．One trouble never comes alone. |