It was a hot summer day． My dad and I were getting ready to go out for a ride on the boat with my friend Katie and the dog when the phone call came, the call that made that bright, beautiful day a cold, dark, gloomy one．
I had just put on my suit, shorts, and tank top, and packed my bag with sunscreen and everything else I would need for the day． I ran into my parents’ room to find Dad． When I saw him on the phone, he was crying． I’d never seen my dad cry before． My heart sank． What possibly could have happened?
"Max, I’m so sorry," I heard him say． That’s when it hit me． I knew that Suzie had died． Max has been my dad’s best friend for years． Suzie, his daughter, had a rare disease that mainly affected her body． Her brain was OK． She knew what was going on; she knew that she had problems and was different from other kids． Once she told her dad that she wished she could die and be born in a different body． Yet although she couldn’t live a normal life ，she was still happy．
When Suzie and I were little, we spent quite a bit of time together． As we grew up, we grew apart． She lived in New York, and I lived in the Midwest． When Suzie was ten she had to live in a hospital in Virginia． About eight months before she died, Max gave us her number at the hospital and we talked at least twice a week until the end． Suzie was always so excited to talk to us and wanted to know every detail about my life． She wanted to know everything I did and every thing I ate． In a way, she lived through me．
After we found out about her death, we made our plans to go to New York for the funeral． When she was alive, I sent her a Beanie Baby and she sent one back to me． I had bought her another one but never had the chance to send it to her, so I took it to put in her casket（棺材）．
Her funeral was very different from any funeral I’d ever been to． After they lowered her casket, each one of us put a shovelful of dirt over her． I remember crying so hard, I felt weak． My cheeks burned from the tears． My whole body was shaking as I picked up the shovel, but I’m glad I did it．
When Suzie and I first started calling one another, I thought it would be more of a burden on me, but I was completely wrong． I learned so much from her． She gave me more than I could ever give to her． I will never forget her or the talks we had． I now know that I must never take anything for granted especially my health and the gift of life．What does the underlined part “In a way, she lived through me．” mean?
| A．Suzie got to know what life outside hospital was like by sharing my experience． |
| B．Suzie was financially dependent of me． |
| C．Suzie managed to pull through her illness with the help of my family． |
| D．Suzie was too weak to live her own life． |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?
| A．Suzie was the only person helping the author with difficulties． |
| B．The author feared that she might also get the same disease as Suzie． |
| C．The author benefited a lot from talking on the phone with Suzie． |
| D．The author didn’t understand Suzie was her true friend until Suzie’s death． |
What is the most important lesson the author learned from Suzie’s death?
| A．Never let go of a friend even if you are apart． |
| B．Be thankful for what we have in our life． |
| C．Talking with a friend can cure your illness． |
| D．We can learn more from our friends than they do from us． |
If you want to teach your children how to say sorry, you must be good at saying it yourself, especially to your own children. But how you say it can be quite tricky.
If you say to your children “I’m sorry I got angry with you, but…”, what follows that “but” can make the apology ineffective: “I had a bad day” or “You noise was giving me a headache” leaves the child who has been injured feeling that he should be apologizing for this bad behavior.
Another method by which people appear to apologize without actually doing so is to say “I’m sorry you’re upset”; this suggests that you are somehow at fault for allowing yourself to get upset by what the other person has done.
These pseudo(虚假的) apologies are used by people who believe saying sorry shows weakness. Parents who wish to teach their children to apologize should see it as a sign of strength, and therefore not turn to these pseudo apologies.
But even when presented with examples of true regret, children still need help to become aware of how difficult it is to say sorry. A three-year-old child might need help in understanding that other children feel pain just as he does, and that hitting a playmate over the head with a heavy toy requires an apology. A six-year-old child might need reminding that spoiling other children’s expectations can require an apology. A 12-year-old child might need to be shown that taking away the biscuit tin without asking permission is acceptable, but that borrowing a parent’s clothes without permission is not.If a mother adds “but” to an apology, ________.
| A．the child may find the apology easier to accept |
| B．the child may feel that he should apologize to his mother |
| C．she does not realize that the child has been hurt |
| D．she doesn’t feel that she should have apologized |
According to the author, saying “I’m sorry you’re upset.” most probably means “_____”
| A．You have good reason to get upset | B．I apologize for hurting your feelings |
| C．I’m wrong for making you upset | D．I know you’re upset, but I’m not to blame |
We learn from the last paragraph that in teaching children to say sorry ____.
| A．their ages should be taken into consideration |
| B．parents should be patient and tolerant(宽容的) |
| C．parents need to set them a good example |
| D．the difficulties involved should be taken no notice of |
It can be inferred from the text that apologizing properly is ________.
| A．not necessary among family members | B．a sign of social progress |
| C．not as simple as it seems | D．a matter calling for immediate attention |
A businessman had two sons. While he gave the younger son a lot of love and gifts, he neglected (忽视) the elder son. It was completely puzzling (令人费解) and no one knew why.
When the boys grew up, they were asked to manage the father’s business. The elder son was absorbed in the business. From morning till late in the evening, he was busy working. Within a few years, he ran the business very well and even expanded (扩大) it.
What about the younger son? He didn't have much to do except have a good time. But the father believed that his favorite son would be a success. If the elder son could be a successful businessman, surely the younger one, with a higher education, would do much better.
A few years later, the results of his decision became clear. Uninterested in business, the younger son continued spending his time enjoying himself. And he went out of business. But the elder son’s far smaller share (份
) of business had expanded and he had proved himself to be a good decision maker.
Ashamed at the turn of events, the father met the elder son and was angry with the younger one. The elder son, who was listening to all this quietly, suddenly said he wanted to set up an independent business and live on his own.
“Why?” asked the father.
“I blame (责备) one person for the way my brother has turned out, and it’s not him. You can’t blame children for the faults (过失) of their parents, can you?” asked the elder son.Before the younger son went into the father’s business, he______.
| A．was interested in business | B．had achieved great success |
| C．often looked down upon his brother | D．was well-educated at school |
Why did the father treat the two sons differently?
| A．the elder son didn’t work hard | B．no one knew why he did it |
C．the you nger son was hardworking |
D．he wanted to do an experiment |
Which is NOT the reason for the younger son’s going out of business?
| A．he himself didn’t work hard |
| B．his father didn’t educate him properly |
| C．he was not interested in business at all |
| D．he was busy working every day |
What does the text really want to teach us?
| A．Parents are responsible for children’s development. |
| B．Once something is done, you should do it well. |
| C．Interest is the most important for success. |
| D．One has responsibility for what he himself has done. |
“Someday, there’ll be no Americans left in the NBA,” said 12-year-old Xing Tao, who joined his school team two weeks ago after watching Yao Ming in a televised NBA game. “The players will all be Chinese, like Yao.”
To China, Yao is a home-grown superstar who helped make the world’s first basketball league closer to Chinese players. To the NBA, the 2.23-meter center offers an opening of a different sort into the world’s largest new market. Yao’s NBA first appearance against the Indiana Pacers in October reached 287 million families in the US. That game might have been a bit of a letdown to Yao’s fans: He played just 11 of the 48 minutes, had two rebounds (抢篮板球) and got no points. Comparing that with his performance on December 19, also against Indiana, Yao won 29 points and 10 rebounds. “This is one of the most exciting games I’ve had,” Yao said after Houston’s 95-83 victory. The NBA has to be excited about his on-count success. In all his games, he’s averaging 12.7 points and 7.7 rebounds, quite good for a new star. “Yao Ming has brought the NBA closer to the Chinese,” said NBA spokeswoman Cheong Sau Ching, “That makes the dream seem practical for other people in China and proud to be Chinese.”
Yao is not the country’s first player in the NBA, but Yao’s combination of modesty and skills makes him a favorite back home. What’s the direct reason for Xing Tao to join the school basketball team?
A. He watched an NBA game.
B. He liked basketball.
C. He hoped to play for NBA.
D. He had a dream that he would become a basketball star. How many points did Yao Ming win in his first game in NBA?
| A．0. | B．2. | C．29. | D．10. |
What does the underlined word “letdown” in the second paragraph mean?
| A．failure | B．surprise | C．disappointment | D．sadness |
What’s the main idea of this passage?
A. Middle school students want to play basketball.
B. Yao Ming makes NBA closer to China.
C. There’ll be no Americans left in the NBA.
D. There are many new stars fro
m China in the NBA.
A star usually is someone who has become famous in sports, film, or pop music, someone like singer Michael Jackson. In the middle nineteen eighties, Michael Jackson successfully made a famous record, which quickly became the most popular recording in the history of music. This made Michael Jackson a bright star.
One of the famous sports bright stars in the United States is Mohammed Ali. When he was a young man, he won a gold medal in the Olympic Games as a boxer. Then, he won first place in the world heavy weight boxing match. Before long, he was known as one of the greatest and most famous boxers in sports history. Everyone knows his name.
Like the stars in the sky, a bright star will lose his brightness as time passes. He is loved by millions of people today, but will be forgotten tomorrow.What does this passage mainly talk about?
| A．Michael Jackson | B．Mohammed Ali |
| C．pop music and boxing | D．bright stars |
Michael Jackson is famous for .
| A．his songs | B．his film |
| C．his sports | D．his heavy weight |
What does “boxer” in the passage mean in Chinese?
| A．盒子 | B．装箱者 | C．拳击手 | D．制作人 |
What will happen to the bright stars at last according to the passage?
| A．They will be remembered by millions of people. |
| B．They will be loved by people for ever. |
C．T hey will be the most important people in history. |
| D．They will lose their brightness and be little known. |
No one wants to look silly or do the wrong thing at a new job. It’s important to make the right impression (印象) from the first day. You will face new people. You will be in a new place. It may be difficult to know what to do. Here are seven tips to help you make it through the first days at a new job:
1. First impression is important. Make sure you make a good one. Before your first day, find out if your new job has a dress code. If so, be sure to follow it. No matter what you wear, always be neat (整洁) and clean.
2. Get to work on time. Employers value workers who come to work on time. Give yourself an extra 15 minutes to
make sure you arrive on time.
3. Pay attention to introduction. One of the first things that your supervisor (主管) may do is to introduce you to co-workers. These co-workers will be important to you. They are the ones who will answer your questions when the boss isn’t around.
4. Ask plenty of questions. Make sure that your supervisor has told you what your are expected to do. If he or she has not told you your job duties, ask for a list. Set daily and weekly goals for yourself.
5. Don't make personal phone calls. You should never make personal phone calls to your friends a
nd family unless it's an emergency.
6. Don’t take too long for lunch. What’s the lunch-hour policy at your new job? You can find out from your supervisor or your company’s personnel department(人事部门). For example, do people eat at their desks or does everyone take a full hour outside the workplace?
7. Never be the first one to leave. Observe how your co-workers behave arou
nd quitting (离开) time. It does no good for you to be eager to leave.Which is the best title for the passage?
| A．Tips On First Days At a New Job | B．How to Do a Job Well |
| C．Be the Last to Leave | D．Ways to Find a New Job |
From the last two paragraphs, we can infer that the most important rule we should follow is ______.
| A．to have lunch outside the workplace | B．to do as other people do |
| C．not to be the first to leave after work | D．to pay attention to introductions |
The underlined phrase “a dress code” (Para. 2) means ______.
| A．a beautiful dress | B．a place where a dress can be placed |
| C．a neat and clean dress | D．a rule about what you can wear to work |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．You should not make personal calls unless very necessary. |
| B．Co-workers will be important to you when the boss is out. |
| C．You shouldn’t ask any questions in case you trouble others. |
| D．Leave an extra 15 minutes earlier to make sure you won’t be late. |