Linda Evans was my best friend—like the sister I never had. We did everything together: piano lessons, movies, swimming, horse back riding.
When I was 13, my family moved away. Linda and I kept in touch through letters, and we saw each other on special time—like my wedding and Linda’s. Soon we were busy with children and moving to new homes, and we wrote less often. One day a card that I sent came back, stamped “Address Unknown. ” I had no idea how to find Linda.
Over the years, I missed Linda very much. I wanted to share happiness of my children and then grandchildren. And I needed to share my sadness when my brother and then mother died. There was an empty place in my heart that only a friend like Linda could fill.
One day I was reading a newspaper when I noticed a photo of a young woman who looked very much like Linda and whose last name was Wagman — Linda’s married name. “There must be thousands of Wagmans,” I thought, but I still wrote to her.
She called as soon as she got my letter. “Mrs Tobin!” she said excitedly, “Linda Evans Wagman is my mother. ”
Minutes later I heard a voice that I knew very much, even after 40 years, laughed and cried and caught up on each other’s lives. Now the empty place in my heart is filled. And there’s one thing that Linda and I know for sure: We won’t lose each other again!The writer went to piano lessons with Linda Evans .
| A.at the age of 13 | B.before she got married |
| C.after they moved to new homes | D.before the writer’s family moved away |
They didn’t often write to each other because they .
| A.got married | B.had little time to do so |
| C.didn’t like writing letters | D.could see each other on special time |
There was an empty place in the writer’s heart because she .
| A.was in trouble |
| B.didn’t know Linda’s address |
| C.received the card that she sent |
| D.didn’t have a friend like Linda to share her happiness or sadness |
The writer was happy when she .
| A.read the newspaper |
| B.heard Linda’s voice on the phone |
| C.met a young woman who looked a lot like Linda |
| D.wrote to the woman whose last name was Wagman |
They haven’t kept in touch .
| A.for about 40 years | B.for about 27 years |
| C.since they got married | D.since the writer’s family moved away |
Across Britain,burnt toast will be served to mothers in bed this morning as older sons and daughters rush to deliver their supermarket bunches of flowers.But,according to a new study,we should be placing a higher value on motherhood all year.
Mothers have long known that their home workload was just as heavy as paid work.Now,the new study has shown that if they were paid for their parental labours,they would earn as much as£172,000 a year.
The study looked at the range of jobs mothers do,as well as the hours they are working,to determine the figure.This would make their yearly income£30,000 more than the Prime Minister earns.
By analysing the numbers,it found the average mother works 119 hours a week,40 of which would usually be paid at a standard rate and 79 hours as overtime.After questioning 1,000 mothers with children under 18,it found that,on most days,mums started their routine work at 7 am and finished at around 11 pm.
To calculate just how much mothers would earn from that labour,it suggested some of the roles that mums could take on,including housekeeper,part-time lawyer,personal trainer and entertainer.Being a part-time lawyer,at£48.98 an hour,would prove to be the most profitable of the“mum jobs”,with psychologist(心理学家)a close second.
It also asked mothers about the challenges they face,with 80 percent making emotional(情感的)demand as the hardest thing about motherhood.
Over a third of mums felt they needed more training and around half said they missed going out with friends.
The study shows mothers matter all year long and not just on Mother’s Day.The emotional,physical and mental energy mothers devote to their children can be never-ending,but children are also sources of great joy and happiness.Investing(投入)in time for parenting and raising relationships is money well spent.How much does a Prime Minister earn,according to the passage?
| A.£30,000. | B.£142,000. |
| C.£172,000. | D.£202,000. |
The biggest challenge for most mothers is from_____.
| A.emotional demand | B.1ow pay for work |
| C.heavy workload | D.1ack of training |
What is stressed in the last paragraph?
| A.Mothers’importance shows in family all year long. |
| B.The sacrifices mothers make are huge but worthwhile. |
| C.Mothers’devotion to children can hardly be calculated. |
| D.Investing time in parenting would bring a financial return. |
What can we conclude from the study?
| A.Mothers’working hours should be largely reduced. |
| B.Mothers should balance their time for work and rest. |
| C.Mothers’labour is of a higher value than it is realized. |
| D.Mothers should be freed from housework for social life. |
Are you sometimes a little tired and sleepy in the early afternoon? Many people feel this way after lunch.They may think that eating lunch is the cause of the sleepiness.Or,in summer,they may think it is the heat.However,the real reason lies inside their bodies.At that time—about eight hours after you wake up—your body temperature goes down.This is what makes you slow down and feel sleepy.Scientists have tested sleep habits in experiments where there was no night or day.The people in these experiments almost always followed a similar sleeping pattern.They slept for one long period and then for one short period about eight hours later.
In many parts of the world,people take naps in the middle of the day.This is especially true in warmer climates,where the heat makes work difficult in the early afternoon.Researchers are now saying that naps are good for everyone in any climate.A daily nap gives one a more rested body and mind and therefore is good for health in general.In countries where naps are traditional,people often suffer less from problems such as heart disease. Many working people,unfortunately,have no time to take naps.Though doctors may advise taking naps,employers do not allow it! If you do have the chance,however,here are a few tips about making the most of your nap.Remember that the best time to take a nap is about eight hours after you get up.A short sleep too late in the day may only make you feel more tired and sleepy afterward,This can also happen if you sleep for too long.If you do not have enough time,try a short nap—even ten minutes of sleep can be helpful.Why do you sometimes feel sleepy in the early afternoon?
| A.Because you eat too much for lunch. |
| B.Because it’s hot in summer. |
| C.Because your body temperature goes down at that time. |
| D.Because you didn’t have a good sleep last night. |
What can we learn about“naps”according to the last paragraph?
| A.All the people in warmer climates take naps in the middle of the day. |
| B.Doctors need to take naps while employers don’t. |
| C.If you take naps everyday,you’11 never suffer from heart disease. |
| D.Taking naps regularly is beneficial to people’s health. |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A.If you get up at 6:30 am,you’d better take a nap at about 1:30 pm. |
| B.Taking a nap whenever you want will do good to your health. |
| C.You will feel less sleepy if you sleep for a long time. |
| D.You’11 feel sleepy at regular intervals. |
What would be the best title for the text?
| A.Just for a Rest |
| B.A1l for a Nap |
| C.A Special Sleep Pattern |
| D.Taking Naps in Warmer Climate |
Environment Awareness Week Regal Convention Centre,Halls 1-4 24-30 March 2015 10:00 am-9:00 pm Free admission for all!
Save the environment,Save our future Our environment needs help.With the participation of more than 50 organizations.Environment Awareness Week is the biggest public education event dedicated to environmental protection and conservation.Don’t miss it! Come and know more about:
The Threats to Earth(Hall 1)—What is global warming?
How serious is pollution? Learn about different environmental problems from our university students.Protect our environment!
The Search for Renewable Energy(Hall 2)—Can we get electricity from wind,solar energy,waves,rivers and underground heat? Get the answers from Solar Ace,Teflon,Touch Wind Resources and other participants.
The Quest for Freshwater(Hall 3)—Is the shortage of freshwater worsening? What are Singapore’s solutions for treating wastewater? Hear from Flow Technologies,HydroMax Solutians and other participants.

The 3 Rs to Save Earth(Hall 4)—How can we REDUCE,REUSE and RECYCLE to cut down household wastes? Find out from the Global Gaia Network,Green Earth Foundation and other participants.The organizer of the event is______________________.
| A.Global Gaia Network | B.Clean Energy Agency |
| C.Green Earth Foundation | D.International Environment Fund |
What’s the purpose of“Environment Awareness Week”?
| A.To educate people about environment protection. |
| B.To advertise for environmental friendly products. |
| C.To make money by attracting visitors. |
| D.To support environment protection. |
The“3 RS”stand for_____________.
| A.Read,Realize and Remember |
| B.Reduce,Reuse and Recycle |
| C.Green Earth Foundation |
| D.Global Gaia Network |


What you have just read is a _______.
| A.note | B.report | C.poster | D.schedule |
What is going to take place on 2 February, 2013?
| A.A party for close friends to meet and have fun. |
| B.A party to celebrate a traditional festival. |
| C.A big event to welcome a Chinese new year. |
| D.A social gathering to raise money for wildlife. |
How much do you have to pay in total if four of you go together?
| A.$ 20. | B.$ 40 | C.$ 80 | D.$ 60 |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A.It's unnecessary to take soft drinks with you. |
| B.Tickets are sold in Kwun Tong High School. |
| C.Free digital cameras are provided for everybody. |
| D.Festival food will be served without extra charge. |
People are being tricked into Facebook with the promise of a fun, free service without realizing they’re paying for it by giving up loads of personal information.
Most Facebook users don’t realize this is happening. Even if they know what the company is up to, they still have no idea what they’re paying for Facebook because people don’t really know what their personal data is worth.
The biggest problem, however, is that the company keeps changing the rules early on you keep everything private. That was the great thing about Facebook. You could create your own little private network. Last year. The company changed its privacy rules so that many things; your city, your photo, your friends’ names were set, by default (默认)to be shared with everyone on the Internet.
According to Facebook’s vice-president Elliot Schrage, the company is simply making changes to improve its service, and if people don’t share information. They have a “less satisfying experience.
Some critics think this is more about Facebook looking to make more money. In original business model, which involved selling ads and putting them. At the side of the pages totally, who wants to took at ads when they’re online connecting with their friends?
The privacy issue has already landed Facebook in hot water in Washington. In April. Senator Charles Schumer called on Facebook to change its privacy policy. He also urged the Federal Trade Commission to set guidelines for social networking sites. “I think the senator rightly communicated that we had not been clear about what the new products were and how people could choose to use them or not to use them,” Schrage admits.
I suspect that whatever Facebook has done so far to invade our privacy, it’s only the beginning,which is why I’m considering cancelling my account. Facebook is a handy site, but I’m upset by the idea that my information is in the hands of people I don’t know. That’s too high a price to pay.What do we learn about Facebook from the first paragraph?
| A.It is a website that sends messages to users who want to get married. |
| B.It earns money by putting on advertisements. |
| C.It makes money by selling its users’ personal data. |
| D.It provides loads of information to its users. |
What does the author say about most Facebook users?
| A.They are unwilling to give up their personal information. |
| B.They don’t identify themselves when using the website. |
| C.They don’t know their personal data enriches Facebook. |
| D.They care very little about their personal information. |
Why does Facebook make changes to its rules according to Elliot Schrage?
| A.To obey the Federal guidelines. |
| B.To provide better service to its users. |
| C.To improve its users’ connection |
| D.To expand its business. |
Why does the author plan to cancel his Facebook account?
| A.He is dissatisfied with its present service. |
| B.He finds many of its users untrustworthy. |
| C.He is upset by its frequent rule changes. |
| D.He doesn’t want his personal data badly used. |