Peanuts to This
Proudly reading my words, I glanced around the room, only to find my classmates bearing big smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes. Confused, I glanced toward my stone-faced teacher. Having no choice, I slowly raised the report I had slaved over, hoping to hide myself. “What could be causing everyone to act this way?”
Quickly, I flashed back to the day Miss Lancelot gave me the task. This was the first real talk I received in my new school. It seemed simple: go on the Internet and find information about a man named George Washington. Since my idea of history came from an ancient teacher in my home country, I had never heard of that name before. As I searched the name of this fellow, it became evident that there were two people bearing the same name who looked completely different! One invented hundreds of uses for peanuts, while the other led some sort of army across America. I stared at the screen, wondering which one my teacher meant. I called my grandfather for a golden piece of advice：flip (掷) a coin. Heads—the commander, and tails—the peanuts guy. Ah! Tails, my report would be about the great man who invented peanut butter, George Washington Carver.
Weeks later, standing before this unfriendly mass, I was totally lost. Oh well, I lowered the paper and sat down at my desk, burning to find out what I had done wrong. As a classmate began his report, it all became clear, “My report is on George Washington, the man who started the American Revolution.” The whole world became quite! How could I know that she meant that George Washington?
Obviously, my grade was awful. Heartbroken but fearless, I decided to turn this around. I talked to Miss Lancelot, but she insisted: No re-dos; no new grade. I felt that the punishment was not justified, and I believed I deserved a second chance. Consequently, I threw myself heartily into my work for the rest of the school year. Ten months later, that chance unfolded as I found myself sitting in the headmaster’s office with my grandfather, now having an entirely different conversation. I smiled and flashed back to the embarrassing moment at the beginning of the year as the headmaster informed me of my option to skip the sixth grade. Justice is sweet!What did the author’s classmates think about his report?
| A．Controversial. | B．Ridiculous. |
| C．Boring. | D．Puzzling. |
Why was the author confused about the task?
| A．He was unfamiliar with American history. |
| B．He followed the advice and flipped a coin. |
| C．He forgot his teacher’s instruction. |
| D．He was new at the school. |
The underlined word “burning” in Para. 3 probably means _______.
| A．annoyed | B．ashamed |
| C．ready | D．eager |
In the end, the author turned things around _______.
| A．by redoing his task |
| B．through his own efforts |
| C．with the help of his grandfather |
| D．under the guidance of his headmaster |
The tradition of birthday parties started a long time ago. There are some traditions that you can find almost anywhere, anytime, such as sending birthday cards, blowing out the candles on a birthday cake and singing the 'Happy Birthday' song. Others are only found for certain ages and in certain countries.
In China, on a child's second birthday, family members put many things on the floor around the child. According to Chinese tradition, the first thing that the child picks up tells you what profession(职业) the child will choose later in life.
For Japanese children, the third, fifth and seventh birthdays are especially important. At this age, there is a special celebration Shichi-Go-San (seven, five, three in Japanese) when children go to the temple wearing a new kimono (和服). The priest (僧侣) gives them special sweets, and the parents usually organize a party for their friends in their home.
In Argentina, Mexico and several other Latin American countries, girls have a special birthday celebration when they reach the age of fifteen. After a special ceremony (仪式), the girls dance a waltz with their father and other boys.
Eighteen is the traditional “coming of age”— the age when (in many countries) you have the right to vote (选举), join the army and (in Britain) drink alcohol or buy a house.
In many English-speaking countries, a twenty-first birthday cake often has a key on top, or the cake itself is sometimes in the shape of a key. The key means that the young person is now old enough to leave and enter the family home at any time they want to! Which of the following birthday traditions can be found almost anywhere, anytime?
| A．Putting many things on the floor. |
| B．Wearing a new kimono. |
| C．Dancing a waltz. |
| D．Sending birthday cards. |
In many countries you can ________ when you reach the age of eighteen.
| A．join the army |
| B．have a key |
| C．have a special ceremony |
| D．have special sweets |
Which of the following sentences is NOT true?
| A．The tradition of birthday parties started a long time ago. |
| B．Some birthday traditions are only found in certain countries. |
| C．You become the owner of your house at the age of fifteen. |
| D．In many countries you have the right to vote at the age of eighteen. |
Which is the best title of this passage?
| A．Birthday Traditions around the World |
| B．Chinese Birthday Celebrations |
| C．Japanese Special Celebration |
| D．The Drinking Age in Many Countries |
NEW YORK PLUMBING(管道) & HEATING
Since 1968
Plumbing and Heating Fixing
LARGE OR SMALL
24 Hours 7 Days Service
Tel: 56568833
268 Pine Street 5th AvenueWhich shows New York P & H (Plumber & Heating) has been in business for a long time?
| A．“Since 1968” | B．“24 Hours 7 Days Service” |
| C．“56568822” | D．“268 Pine Street 5th Avenue” |
For which of the following problems would one call New York P & H?
| A．Rainwater drops from the roof. |
| B．A refrigerator stops working. |
| C．The floor of the bathroom is covered with water. |
| D．There’s something wrong with the furniture. |
Which of the following is NOT clear in the reading?
| A．Where P & H is. | B．How big P & H is. |
| C．What P & H does. | D．When P & H was set up |
You’re standing with your classmates. Everyone is talking—except you. Perhaps you’re afraid they will laugh at what you say. Or maybe you just aren’t brave enough to speak.
I’ve been there, and so have many other people all over the world. Shyness is like a snake that crawls(爬进) into our mouths and stops us speaking. But we shouldn’t let it stay there.
I am 29 years old. Even today, that snake still sometimes visits me. But when I was in high school, I was so shy that I wouldn’t talk to anyone except my parents and best friends. If a stranger asked me the way to a local shop, it was as if I’d forgotten how to talk.
One summer, I got a job in a restaurant and that helped a lot. It meant I had to talk to customers. I had to tell them how much their meal cost. I had to ask them if they wanted to drink Coke or Sprite. I had to tell the people in the kitchen if someone wanted pickle（泡菜）on their sandwich.
This job taught me how to speak with people.
You may not be old enough to find a part-time job. But you can look for other chances to speak with people. You can offer to help an old woman carry her heavy bag. Or you can go to get a newspaper for your family.
If you do these things for a while, the “shyness” snake will soon begin to leave you alone. It’ll look for another mouth to crawl into.The example in the first paragraph is used to .
| A．show that everyone has the right to speak in class |
| B．tell readers that it is not right to laugh at others |
| C．introduce the fact that many people have a shyness problem |
| D．argue that it is alright to keep silent in public |
The underlined sentence in the second paragraph probably means .
| A．he’s been in many situations that make other people feel shy |
| B．he is confident that he can find a way to get over shyness |
| C．he is sad because he knows he will always be shy |
| D．like many other people he once was troubled by shyness |
The author’s duties in the restaurant included .
| A．cooking the meals for customers |
| B．taking the customers’ orders |
| C．discussing the menu with the manager |
| D．helping people in the kitchen |
Who was the article written for?
| A．Shy early teenagers. |
| B．College students. |
| C．People who work at a restaurant. |
| D．People who need a part-time job. |
A man was driving at 70 miles in a 40-mile-zone, when a police car came behind him with the light on. __1__. As the policeman came to him, he said,” Hi, officer, I guess you caught me a little bit over the limit. I was in a rush to get home, to be with my wife and kids, you know my younger son wasn’t feeling well when I left home this morning.”
The policeman said, “Well, I guess so,” and started writing something in his notebook.__2__. A few moments later, the policeman came to his window and handed him a paper, and returned to his car without saying a single word. The man started to wonder, how much this ticket was going to be as he began to look at the paper.__3___ But something which read: “I had a daughter who was killed by a speeding car at the age of six, by a speeding driver like you. He got a fine, a few months in prison, and was free, free to hug two other daughters.__4__ I have tried to forgive that man a thousands times, and I thought I had. Maybe I really forgive him, but I have to do it again, even right now.__5__.”
The man was very surprised and could not move for the next few minutes. When finally he did, he drove slowly, even a few miles under the speed limit, praying for forgiveness.
| A. So pray for you, and be careful when you drive again, your daughter is all you have left. B. I only had one, and now I had to wait I go to heaven before I can hug her again. C. Right away the man started thinking of excuse to give. D. He was surprised it was not a ticket. E. So pray for me, and be careful when you drive again, my son is all I have left. F. As minutes went by, he hadn’t asked for his driver’s license. G. He was surprised it was not a ticket as he began to read. |
It’s not easy being a teenager（13至19岁青少年）—nor is it easy being the parent of a teenager. You can make your child feel angry, hurt, or misunderstood by what you say without realizing it yourself. It is important to give your child the space he needs to grow while gently letting him know that you you’ll still be there for him when he needs you.
Expect a lot from your child, just not everything. Except for health and safety problems, such as drug use or careless driving; consider everything else open to discussion. If your child is unwilling to discuss something, don’t insist he tell you what’s on his mind. The more you insist, the more likely that he’ll cleam up. Instead , let him attempt to solve（解决）things by himself. At the same time, remind him that you’re always there for him should he seek advice or help. Show respect for your teenager’s privacy （隐私）. Never read him his mail or listen in on personal conversions.
Teach your teenager that the family phone is for the whole family. If your child talks on the family’s telephone for too long, tell him he can talk for15 minutes, but then he must stay off the phone for at least an equal period of time. This not only frees up the line so that other family members can make and receive calls, but teaches your teenager moderation（节制）. Or if you are open to the idea, allow your teenager his own phone that he pays for with his own pocket money or a part –time job.The main purpose of the text is to tell parents .
| A．how to get along with a teenager |
| B．how to respect a teenager |
| C．how to understand a teenager |
| D．how to help a teenager grow up |
What does the phrase “clam up” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?
| A．become excited | B．show respect |
| C．refuse to talk | D．seek help |
What should parents do in raising a teenager according to the text?
| A．Not allow him to learn driving or take drugs. |
| B．Give him advice only when necessary. |
| C．Let him have his own telephone. |
| D．Not talk about personal things with him. |