YOUR mom might cook a bowl of noodles for you on your birthday. But in the US, a mom makes a cupcake for her children on their birthday.
Cupcakes are small, round cakes topped with frosting (糖霜). It has been an American tradition that moms bring cupcakes to the classroom to celebrate their child’s birthday.
But recently some doctors have called for this to be banned. They believe cupcakes contribute to child obesity.
Despite their good intentions, however, some people believe that experts are interfering (妨碍) with American culture. The cupcake is seen as American as apple pie — only prettier.
According to Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition at New York University, the cupcake is the most democratic (民主的) of desserts. As they are small enough for one person, you don’t have to share your cupcake with anyone — it’s all yours. They are also all the same size, so there can’t be any cries of 
“she got the bigger piece!”
Each bite can taste different depending on how much icing you have. It is a lesson in self- determination. Some people eat only a little of the frosting every time, others have it all in just one bite.
In recent years, eating a cupcake has become as trendy as having a cup of Starbucks coffee.
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton jokingly promised on a talk show that if she was electe
d president, she would give everyone a cupcake on her birthday.
Ruth Reichl, editor-in-chief of Gourmet magazine, explains that the rise of the cupcake is very much about going back to American national identity in food, which is all about comfort. “People want to think about when they and their country were innocent,” she said.According to the passage, it has been an American tradition that ___________.
| A．the family holds a party for children on their birthday |
| B．a mom cooks a bowl of noodles for her children on their birthday |
C．a mom makes a cupcake for her children on their birt hday and brings it to the classroom |
| D．parents go travelling with their children on their birthday |
Why do doctors ask people to ban cupcakes on children’s birthday?
| A．Because they themselves don’t like cupcakes. |
| B．Because they think cupcakes are not so delicious. |
| C．Because they believe cupcakes will cause cries of “She got the bigger piece”. |
| D．Because they believe cupcakes are one of the causes to make children become fat. |
What cannot be inferred according to Marion Nestle?
| A．The cupcake is more democratic than any other desserts in the US. |
| B．The cupcake is too small to share with others. |
| C．The sizes of cupcakes are the same so it’s equal to everyone. |
| D．Cupcakes will lead to child obesity so they should be banned. |
The underlined word “trendy” in paragraph 7 probably means ________.
| A．popular | B．gentle | C．delicious | D．different |
Why did the writer mention Hillary Clinton and Ruth Reichl?
| A．To arouse the readers’ attention to banning the tradition of making cupcakes. |
| B．To show that cupcakes are becoming a popular way to show kindness and comfort. |
| C．To make a comparison between them in order for readers to remember them. |
| D．To give readers some idea of cupcakes so as to better understand the American culture |
Amy Chua, a professor of law in Yale, nicknamed as Tiger Mother, has started a debate over Chinese-style parenting. Amy sets “10 Rules” for her two daughters. For instance, they’ve to get As in all subjects and play the piano or violin and practice hours every day.
There has been wide criticism(批评) across the US. “It’s kind of extreme,” said Jeffrey Seinfeld, a professor at New York University. “Children need parents who can guide them, not force them...”
Lawrence Solomon, a famous journalist for Canada’s Globe and Mail, has quoted statistics to show the failure of Chinese parenting. He writes that only 10 Chinese scientists outside the Chinese mainland have won the Nobel Prize in the past century. In contrast, American scientists have won more than 300 Nobel prizes, and Jews(犹太人), who take up only 1% of the world’s population, have got at least 180 (or almost one-fourth) of the prizes.
However, Amy’s strict rules help her daughters shine in their studies. The elder sister is known for her piano presentation at the Carnegie Hall, and the younger boasts an excellent academic record.
Besides, US statistics show that Chinese-Americans take up only 5% of the US population but 20% of the students in Ivy League schools（常春藤学校）.
Likewise, Chinese-Canadians take up more than one-third of the students in Canada’s two most famous universities, Toronto University and the University of British Columbia. Influenced by Confucius’ teachings, students from Korea and Japan are also excelling in academic fields.
Therefore, the Nobel Prize should not be taken as the yardstick of a country’s education. No culture or tradition, whether Eastern or Western, is better or worse. The same applies to Eastern and Western education systems. Both sides should stop using their concepts and criteria to judge the other. They should learn the good aspects of each other’s systems and clear the misunderstandings.It can be inferred from the passage that _______.
| A．there’re about 720 Nobel Prizes in the 20th century |
| B．Jeffrey Seinfeld agrees children need pushing to succeed |
| C．Amy Chua’s parenting style is widely accepted across America |
| D．Western concepts should be adopted to judge all education systems |
What does the author think of the Chinese-style parenting?
| A．Valuable. | B．Unreliable. |
| C．Unchangeable. | D．Flexible. |
The underlined word “yardstick” in the last paragraph can be replaced by ______.
| A．yard | B．footstep |
| C．standard | D．chopsticks |
How does this passage develop?
| A．By inferring. | B．By comparing. |
| C．By reasoning. | D．By explaining. |
Several dollars equal nothing for some people, but make a difference for others. Steve has just lost his wife to cancer and everything they had is gone due to the treatment. He now lives in the shelter for the homeless. So we know each other.
Just like other homeless people, he didn’t think he needed anything. But once he mentioned to me he needed eye glasses. His voice hesitated a bit, he looked down, and it appeared like he thought such a request was just a dream. Too much to hope for? It was as if his wish were known by me only.
I submitted an application for him to a program that is supposed to provide a free eye examination and glasses. Three months later, I phoned to ask what was up with the appointment but they told me there was a cash flow problem until late summer.
Steve showed disappointment, thanked me and started to walk away. I said, “Hold on, I will figure out a way to get you an eye examination and glasses.” His face lit up a tiny bit. He had seen some of the things I have done for other people in our shelter and to me it looked like he might have a line of hope.
I took a picture of him and posted his picture and his story in the Twitter. In about 4 days, eight people from around the world donated $25 each and one person donated $40 and I made up the rest to get him an eye exam and glasses.
Steve picked up his glasses on Wednesday: May 11th, 2011. Today Steve has returned to a previous job he had in a nearby car wash. Because he now has glasses he will be able to see what he is doing while cleaning the vehicles. He is starting a second job at a pet center next week!We can learn from the first two paragraphs that ______.
| A．it took a long time to treat Steve’s wife |
| B．homeless people never ask for anything |
| C．Steve was too embarrassed to ask for help |
| D．the author and Steve have been friends for years |
The program failed to satisfy Steve because ______.
| A．it was already out of business |
| B．it had some trouble in finance |
| C．Steve didn’t submit the application himself |
| D．it’s not designed for people like Steve |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．The program was closed three months ago. |
| B．Steve used to work as a salesman in a car factory. |
| C．Steve got $240 in total from kind-hearted people. |
| D．The author might be a volunteer in the shelter. |
The best title for the passage is probably ______.
| A．Money can sometimes talk |
| B．Small help can really count |
| C．Two heads are better than one |
| D．God helps those who help themselves |
The iPhone, the iPad, each of Apple’s products sounds cool and has become a fashion. Apple has cleverly taken advantage of the power of the letter “i” — and many other brands are following suit. The BBC’s iPlayer — which allows Web users to watch TV programs on the Internet — adopted the title in 2008. A lovely bear — popular in the US and UK — that plays music and video is called “iTeddy”. A slimmed-down version of London’s Independent newspaper was launched last week under the name “i”.
In general, single-letter prefixes have been popular since the 1990s, when terms such as e-mail and e-commerce first came into use.
Most “i” products are targeted at young people and considering the major readers of Independent’s “i”, it’s no surprise that they’ve selected this fashionable name.
But it’s hard to see what’s so special about the letter “i”. Why not use “a”, “b”, or “c” instead? According to Tony Thorne, head of the Language Center at King’s College, London, “i” works because its meaning has become ambiguous. When Apple uses “i”, no one knows whether it means Internet, information, individual or interactive, Thorne told BBC Magazines. “Even when Apple created the iPod, it seems it didn’t have one clear definition,” he says.
“However, thanks to Apple, the term is now associated with portability (轻便) .”adds Thorne.
Clearly the letter “i” also agrees with the idea that the Western World is centered on the individual. Each person believes they have their own needs, and we love personalized products for this reason.
Along with “Google” and “blog”, readers of BBC Magazines voted “i” as one of the top 20 words that have come to define the last decade.
But as history shows, people grow tired of fads(一时的狂热). From the 1900s to 1990s, products with “2000” in their names became fashionable as the year was associated with all things advanced and modern. However, as we entered the new century, the trend eventually disappeared.People use iPlayer to ______.
| A．listen to music |
| B．make a call |
| C．watch TV programs online |
| D．play computer games |
We can infer that the Independent’s “i” is aimed at ______.
| A．fashionable women | B．young readers |
| C．old readers | D．engineers |
Nowadays, the “i” term often reminds people of the products which are ______.
| A．environmentally friendly | B．advanced |
| C．recyclable | D．portable |
The writer suggests that ______.
| A．the popularity of “i” products may not last long |
| B．“i” products are often of high quality |
| C．iTeddy is a live bear popular in the US and UK |
| D．the letter “b” replaces letter “i” to name the products |
From now on, never spend your precious time thinking of reasons for your failures and shortcomings. Instead, realize that the seeds of success were planted within you when you were born. Only you have the power to make those seeds grow.
The seeds, and the power to grow them,are contained in the best machine ever created: the human mind. Success is a choice and not a chance. You were born a winner. You can be a success if only you make the right choice.
You cannot be successful without first developing your self-esteem(自尊). Your level of self-esteem is always based on the degree of control that you are able to have over yourself, and thus over your life. People with low self-esteem are people who do not believe that they have any power, or responsibility for their lives. They are leaves tossed(摇摆) by the winds of chance blown about with any sudden change in the weather.
You can control your life only to the degree that you believe that you are responsible for everything that happens in your life. Failures think that everything happens by accident and chance. Successful people realize that they are responsible.
Everything happens as a result of something. If we can identify the cause, we can control the effect. We are responsible for what we choose to think and believe. One generally rises to the level that one expects. We are responsible for setting our expectations. Our success is dependent upon our level of confidence.
In short, in all areas of your life, whether they are financial, physical, emotional, or spiritual, you are responsible. Once you recognize this, accept it, and firmly believe it, you are on the road to success.People with low self-esteem are compared to leaves because they______.
| A．are easily affected by windy weather |
| B．are ready to change their minds |
| C．don’t have the power to face their fate |
| D．can’t control themselves |
Losers would think that______.
| A．their failure is only because of bad luck |
| B．they don’t make efforts to succeed |
| C．working hard will lead to success |
| D．success is the result of hard work |
It can be inferred from paragraph 5 that______.
| A．success is a chance |
| B．We are what we make us |
| C．thoughts and beliefs are the result of creative mind |
| D．developing confidence is the only way to future success |
The last paragraph serves as______.
| A．the proof of the author’s points |
| B．an introduction to another topic |
| C．the conclusion of the argument |
| D．a comparison between two views |
Dear Dad,
Today I was at the shopping mall and I spent a lot of time reading the Father’s Day cards. They all had a special message that in some way or another reflected how I feel about you. Yet as I selected and read, it occurred to me that not a single card said what I really want to say to you.
You’ll soon be 84 years old, Dad, and you and I will have had 55 Father’s Days together. I haven’t always been with you on Father’s Day but I’ve always been with you in my heart.
You know, Dad, there was a time when we were separated by the generation gap. You stood on one side of the Great Divide and I on the other.
The Father-Daughter Duel shifted into high gear（档位）when you taught me to drive the old Dodge and I decided I would drive the 54 Chevy(雪佛兰) whether you liked it or not. The police officer who sent me home after you reported the Chevy stolen didn’t have much tolerance（容忍） for a stubborn 16 -year- old girl, while you were so tolerant about it, Dad, and I think that was probably what made it the worst night of my life.
Our relationship picked up when I married a man you liked, and things really turned around when we began making babies. Somewhere along the line, the generation gap disappeared. I suppose I saw us and our relationship as aging together, rather like a fine wine.
But the strangest thing happened last week. I was at a stop sign and I watched as you turned the corner in your car. It didn’t immediately occur to me that it was you because the man driving looked so elderly and weak behind the wheel of that huge car. It was rather like a slap(打) in the face delivered from out of nowhere. Perhaps I saw your age for the first time that day.
I guess what I’m trying to say, Dad, is what every son and daughter wants to say to their Dad today. Honoring a father on Father’s Day is about respect and sharing and acceptance and tolerance and giving and taking. It’s about loving someone more than words can say, and it’s my wish that it never had to end.
I love you, Dad.
Love,
JennyWhat caused Jenny to write the letter?
| A．Getting along well with her father. |
| B．Failing to find a satisfactory card. |
| C．Visiting a card exhibition at a mall. |
| D．Being away on previous Father’s Day. |
What does the underlined phrase “ turned around ” in Para. 5 mean?
| A．Became better. | B．Changed unexpectedly. |
| C．Went worse. | D．Progressed unsteadily. |
What can we learn from Para. 6?
| A．Jenny seldom saw her father drive that huge car. |
| B．Jenny knew her father’s real age from that day on. |
| C．Jenny’s father slapped her on the face somewhere. |
| D．Jenny had never realized her father’s being weak. |
Jenny wrote her father this letter to __________ .
| A．inform him of their conflicts |
| B．apologize for her being stubborn |
| C．express her deep love to him |
| D．remind him of the early incident |