It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, career, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of his dreams. There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife and son. He was working on his future, and nothing could stop him.
Over the phone, his mother told him, “Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral is Wednesday.” Memories flashed through his mind like an old newsreel（纪录片） as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.
“Jack, did you hear me?”
“Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. It’s been so long since I thought of him. I’m sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago,” Jack said.
Well, he didn’t forget you. Every time I saw him he’d ask how you were doing. He’d reminisce (回忆) about the many days you spent over ‘his side of the fence’ as he put it,” Mom told him.
“I loved that old house he lived in,” Jack said.
“You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man’s influence in your life,” she said.
“He’s the one who taught me carpentry. I wouldn’t be in this business if it weren’t for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important… Mom, I’ll be there for the funeral,” Jack said.
Busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his hometown. Mr. Belser’s funeral was small and uneventful. He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.
The night before they had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time, which was exactly as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece of furniture… Jack stopped suddenly.
“What’s wrong, Jack?” his Mom asked.
“The box is gone,” he said.
“What box?” Mom asked.
“There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he’d ever tell me was ‘the thing I value most’,” Jack said.
It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it.
“Now, I’ll never know what was so valuable to him,” Jack said sadly.
Returning to his office the next day, he found a package on his desk. The return address caught his attention.
“Mr. Harold Belser” it read.
Jack tore open the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope. Jack’s hands shook as he read the note inside.
“Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bennett. It’s the thing I valued most in my life.” A small key was taped to the letter. His heart racing, and tears filling his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch. Running his fingers slowly over the fine cover, he opened it.
Inside he found these words carved: “Jack, Thanks for your time! Harold Belser.”
“Oh, My God! This is the thing he valued most…”
Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his assistant and cleared his appointments for the next two days. “Why?” his assistant asked.
“I need some time to spend with my son,” he said.Why did Jack think Mr. Belser died years ago?
| A．Jack was too busy realizing his dreams to think about Mr. Belser. |
| B．Jack was too busy with his business and family to think about Mr. Belser. |
| C．College and career prevented him from remembering Mr. Bleser. |
| D．His present busy life washed away his childhood memories. |
Jack’s mother told him on the phone about Mr. Belser EXCEPT that ______.
| A．Mr. Belser often asked how Jack was doing |
| B．Mr. Belser’s funeral would take place on Wednesday |
| C．Mr. Belser had asked for Jack’s mailing address |
| D．Mr. Belser had pleasant memories of their time together |
Why did Jack say he needed some time to spend with his son?
| A．He was very tired of his work and wanted to have a good rest. |
| B．He had promised to spare more time to stay with his son. |
| C．He had missed his son and his family for days. |
| D．He came to realize the importance of the time with his family. |
Which of the following is the most suitable title for this passage?
| A．The Good Old Times | B．What He Valued Most |
| C．My lost friend | D．The Lost Childhood Days |
Visiting the Arctic
Zhou Mingfeng，17，has only stepped out of his birthplace, Qingdao, once to visit the top of the world, the Arctic！
The Senior 2 student from the High School Attached to Ocean University of China joined a two-week journey to the Arctic at the beginning of this month, after he was recommended for the trip. Including his teacher, Wu Jianying, the adventure group consisted of12 students and teachers from China, Spain, Canada, Britain and the US.
" The trip brought the whole subject of geography and climate change to life，" Zhou said.
Before they landed by air on Canada's research icebreaker(破冰船）in the Arctic, Amundsen, the group visited an Inuit(英纽特人的）community. Zhou also got the chance to experience dog-sled-ding for the first time!
He was surprised to find that Inuit people don't live in snow igloos(圆顶建筑）any longer. "They live in modem, warm wooden houses and travel mostly by snowmobile，" he said.
During the time on board Amundsen, everyday was science orientated ( 以……为主）. Zhou and other teenagers were guided by scientists, who work there, to take part in laboratory and field work. Sometimes they went outside to collect ice and snow samples for experiments despite the windy, freezing climate.
As the only Chinese student, Zhou didn't feel very confident due to his English inefficiency.
“Those students soon got close to the on-board scientists and became involved (参与）in their research，“ he recalled in admiration.
However, it didn't prevent Zhou from enjoying the unique and remote life there.
When the wind died and the sun shone on the frozen desert, Zhou and his new friends recorded their days with photo shoots out on the ice beside the Amundsen ！
"The views were breathtaking! Everything around us seemed lifeless, which is shocking，" he said.
But there proved to be something alive, under the ice caps. A seal popped out of the water below the ship and greeted them on the last day of their stay.
“ It was the only animal I saw in the Arctic ！ ” he said，“ But it's a pity that I didn't see a single polar bear in the ‘ capital ’ of the creature. ” According to the passage, the students and teachers visiting Arctic are most likely to __________.
| A．go sightseeing |
| B．take part in some science research |
| C．learn English |
| D．learn about Inuit community |
In the passage, Amundsen is __________.
A. an icebreaker B. an Inuit igloo
C. a place in Arctic D, a dog-drawn sled Which of the followings is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Zhou was surprised to find the Inuit lived in modem, warm wooden houses. |
| B．Zhou visited an Inuit community first. |
| C．Zhou's inefficient English made him unable to enjoy the life in Arctic. |
| D．Zhou took many photos with his new friends. |
The underlined sentence " The trip brought the whole subject of geography and climate change to life，" in Paragraph 3 probably means __________.
| A．the trip made what had been learned in geography lessons more vivid or interesting |
| B．the trip suddenly started working |
| C．the trip completely changed his life |
| D．the trip made animals in Arctic live |
Going green seems to be a fad （时尚）for a lot of people these days. Whether that is good or bad, we can't really say, but for the two of us, going green is not a fad but a lifestyle.
On April 22，2011，we decided to go green every single day for an entire year. This meant doing 365 different green things, and it also meant challenging ourselves to go green beyond the easy things. Rather than recycle and reduce our energy, we had to think of 365different green things to do and this was no easy task.
With the idea of going green every single day for a year, Our Green Year started. My wife and I decided to educate people about how they could go green in their lives and hoped we could show people all the green things that could be done to help the environment. We wanted to push the message that every little bit helps.
Over the course of Our Green Year, we completely changed our lifestyles. We now shop at organic （有机的）stores. We consume less meat, choosing green food. We have greatly reduced our buying we don't need. We have given away half of what we owned through websites. Our home is kept clean by vinegar and lemon juice, with no chemical cleaners. We make our own butter, enjoying the smell of home-made fresh bread. In our home office anyone caught doing something ungreen might be punished.
Our minds have been changed by Our Green Year. We are grateful for the chance to have been able to go green and educate others. We believe that we do have the power to change things and help our planet. What might be the best title for the passage?
| A．Going Green |
| B．Protecting the Planet |
| C．Keeping Open-Minded |
| D．Celebrating Our Green Year |
It was difficult for the couple to live a green life for the whole year because __________.
| A．they were expected to follow the green fad |
| B．they didn't know how to educate other people |
| C．they were unwilling to reduce their energy |
| D．they needed to perform unusual green tasks |
What did the couple do over the course of Our Green Year?
| A．They tried to get out of their ungreen habits. |
| B．They ignored others' ungreen behavior. |
| C．They chose better chemical cleaners. |
| D．They sold their home-made food. |
What can we infer from the last paragraph?
| A．The government will give support to the green project. |
| B．The couple may continue their project in the future. |
| C．Some people disagree with the couple's green ideas. |
| D．Our Green Year is becoming a national campaign. |
Low-Cost Gifts for Mother's Day
Gift No. 1
Offer to be your mother's health friend. Promise to be there for any and all doctor's visits whether a disease or a regular medical check-up. Most mothers always say " no need "，but another set of eyes and ears is always a good idea at a doctor's visit. The best part? This one is free.
Gift No. 2
Help your mother organize all of her medical records, which include the test results and medical information. Put them all in one place. Be sure to make a list of all of her medicines and what times she takes them. " Having all this information in one place could end up saving your mother's life，" Dr. Marie Savard said.
Gift No. 3
Enough sleep is connected to general health conditions. " Buy your mother cotton sheets and comfortable pillows to encourage better sleep，" Savard said. " We know that good sleep is very important to our health. "
Gift No. 4
Some gift companies such as Presents for Purpose allow you to pay it forward this Mother's Day by picking gifts in which 10percent of the price you pay goes to a charity （慈善机构）. Gift givers can choose from a wide variety of useful but inexpensive things-many of which are" green"-and then choose a meaningful charity from a list. When your mother gets the gift, she will be told that she has helped the chosen charity. What are you advised to do for your mother at doctor's visits?
| A．Take notes. |
| B．Be with her. |
| C．Buy medicine. |
| D．Give her gifts. |
What can be a gift of organization for your mother?
| A．Keeping her medical information together. |
| B．Buying all gifts for her from one company. |
| C．Making a list of her medical check-ups. |
| D．Storing her medicines in a safe place. |
Where can you find a gift idea to improve your mother's sleep?
| A．In Gift No. 1. |
| B．in Gift No. 2. |
| C．In Gift No. 3. |
| D．in Gift No. 4. |
Buying gifts from Presents for Purpose allows mothers to __________.
| A．enjoy good sleep |
| B．be well-organized |
| C．get extra support |
| D．give others help |
A young father was visiting an old neighbor. They were standing in the old man's garden, and talking about children. The young man said，"How strict should parents be with their children?" The old man pointed to a string（绳子）between a big strong tree and a thin young one. "Please untie （解开）that string，" he said. The young man untied it, and the young tree bent （弯）over to one side. "Now tie it again, please，" said the old man，" but first pull the string tight so that the young tree is straight again. "
The young man did so. Then the old man said，" There, it is the same with children. You must be strict with them, but sometimes you must untie the string to know how they are getting on. If they are not yet able to stand alone, you must tie the string tight again. But when you find that they are ready to stand alone, you can take the string away. " The story is about __________.
| A．how to take care of young trees |
| B．how strict parents should be with their children |
| C．how the young father should get on with his old neighbor |
| D．ho to tie and untie the string |
The young man untied the string __________.
| A．in order to throw it away |
| B．so that both of the trees would grow straight |
| C．only to find that the thinner one bent over to one side |
| D．in order to let the old man teach him |
At last the old man told the young man __________.
| A．that he should be strict with his children if they could not yet stand alone |
| B．that he should always be strict with his children |
| C．that he should be hard on them |
| D．that he should tie his children until they are ready to stand alone |
In the story the relation （关系）of the big strong tree to the thin one is like that of __________.
| A．the young father to the old neighbor |
| B．parents to their children |
| C．the old neighbor to the children of the young father |
| D．grown ups to their parents |
The Healthy Habits Survey （调查）shows that only about one third of American seniors have correct habits. Here are some findings and expert advice.
1. How many times did you brush your teeth yesterday?
• Finding ： A full 33% of seniors brush their teeth only once a day.
• Step ： Remove the 300 types of bacteria in your mouth each morning with a battery-operated toothbrush. Brush gently for 2 minutes at least twice a day.
2. How many times did you wash your hands or bathe yesterday?
• Finding ： Seniors, on average, bathe fewer than 3 days a week. And nearly 30% wash their hands only 4 times a day-half of the number doctors recommend.
• Step ： We touch our faces around 3，000 times a day-of-ten inviting germs （病菌）to enter our mouth, nose, and eyes. Use toilet paper to avoid touching the door handle. And, most important, wash your hands often with hot run-ning water and soap for 20 seconds.
3. How often do you think about fighting germs?
• Finding ： Seniors are not fighting germs as well as they should.
• Step ： Be aware of germs. Do you know it is not your toilet but your kitchen sponge （海绵）that can carry more germs than anything else? To kill these germs, keep your sponge in the microwave for 10 seconds. What is found out about American seniors?
| A．Most of them have good habits. |
| B．Nearly 30% of them bathe three days a week. |
| C．All of them are fighting germs better than expected. |
| D．About one third of them brush their teeth only once a day. |
Doctors suggest that people should wash their hands __________.
| A．twice a day |
| B．three times a day |
| C．four times a day |
| D．eight times a day |
Which of the following is true according to the text?
| A．We should keep from touching our faces. |
| B．There are less than 300 types of bacteria in the mouth. |
| C．A kitchen sponge can carry more germs than a toilet. |
| D．W should wash our hands before touching a door handle. |
The text probably comes from __________.
| A．a guide book |
| B．a popular magazine |
| C．a book review |
| D．an official document |