Time was running out, and Mark Dickinson wasn't sure whether he'd get to see his dying 2－year－old grandson one last time. A long line at Los Angeles International Airport's security checkpoint had kept him from getting to his gate on time.
His grandson Caden would be taken off life support in a matter of hours in Denver, Colorado, with or without his grandfather's presence, according to CNN affiliate KABC.
“I was kind of panicking because I was running late, and I really thought I wasn't going to make the flight，” Dickinson told KABC.
That's when a pilot from Southwest Airlines stepped up and held the flight at the gate until Dickinson arrived. The pilot was standing by the air bridge waiting for him when Dickinson arrived in socks, so rushed that he just grabbed his shoes at security and ran through the terminal.
“I told him, ‘Thank you so much. I can't tell you how much I appreciated that.’ And he said, ‘No problem. They can't leave without me anyway，’”Dickinson told KABC.
Authorities say Dickinson's grandson, Caden Rodgers, suffered a head injury after his mother's boyfriend threw him across the room. The boyfriend reportedly told police he was drunk and high on marijuana(大麻) at the time. The child later died and the boyfriend has been charged with first－degree murder, according to the Aurora Sentinel.
Thanks to the pilot, Dickinson made it to Colorado in time to say goodbye to his grandson. Most airlines would punish any staff member who holds up a flight, according to consumer advocate Christopher Elliott, who broke the story of the sympathetic pilot on his blog. However, a Southwest spokeswoman said the pilot's actions were praiseworthy.
“You can't hold a plane for every late customer, but I think we would all agree that these were extenuating(可以原谅的) circumstances and the pilot absolutely made the right decision，” Southwest spokeswoman Marilee McInnis said. “I don't think you could ask for a better example of great service for our customers.”According to the passage, which is the correct order of the following events?
a. The pilot held the plane for Dickinson.
b. People read the story of the pilot on the Internet.
c. Caden suffered a head injury.
d. Dickinson was waiting in line at the security checking point.
d. Marilee McInnis praised the pilot's actions.
| A．d，c，a，b，e | B．c，a，d，b，e | C．c，d，a，b，e | D．d，a，b，c，e |
Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
| A．The security staff prohibited Dickinson from getting to his gate on time. |
| B．The plane couldn't leave without Dickinson according to the regulations. |
| C．Dickinson made it to see his grandson one last time. |
| D．Christopher Elliott holds the view that all the airlines should advocate similar actions. |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．The boyfriend of Caden's mother hates him very much. |
| B．The boyfriend has been accused of first－degree murder. |
| C．Many pilots enjoy writing blog. |
| D．Dickinson had to take off his shoes at the security cheekpoint. |
In writing this passage, the author mainly tells us a story about ________．
| A．an unlucky man from Los Angeles making his flight |
| B．a poor boy being killed by his mother's boyfriend |
| C．Southwest Airlines' decision not to punish a pilot who held up the flight |
| D．a pilot holding the flight for a man going to see his dying grandson |
“I’m a Theodora clown doctor. I call myself Dr Looloo. I spend two days a week in children’s hospitals, making funny faces, telling jokes, and doing magic tricks. As I walk into the wards I blow bubbles, shake hands with the kids, and make up nonsense songs for those children well enough to sing. I take special balloons to make ‘balloon animals’ and tell funny stories about them.
I’m naturally a very cheerful person. I’ve always been a clown. In fact my father’s a clown and I started working with him when I was eight years old. I knew it was just the job for me and I became a clown doctor because I think it’s a great way to cheer up sick, frightened children in hospital.
Being a clown in hospital is very tiring both physically and emotionally. We have to learn not to show our feelings, otherwise we’d be useless. Clown doctors are sensitive but this is not a side most people see. To the children we’re happy all the time. I’m still learning to allow myself to feel sad occasionally. There are special kids you get really close to. At the moment I’m working with a very sick little gir
l from Bosnia who speaks no English, so our only common language is laughter.
At weekends I participate in events to raise money for Theodora Children’s Trust. It’s a charity, so we are paid with the money people give. Being a clown doctor makes the worries of everyday life seem small. All in all, I feel honored to do this job. ”Lucy works as a clown doctor because.
A．her father is a clown
she has been a clown since she was eight
C．laughter is a great help to sick children D．working in hospital brings her extra moneyWhat do clown doctors usually do in hospital?
A．Teach kids how to speak English.
Cheer kids up with funny stories.
C．Join in activities to raise money. D．Develop kids’ sense of humor.Lucy thinks that being a clown doctor is.
A．an honorable and meaningful practicean interesting job to make a living
C．a good way of getting rid of her worries D．an experience of great fun
Professor Taiju Matsuzawa wanted to find out why otherwise healthy farmers in northern Japan appeared to be losing their ability to think and reason at a relatively early age, and how the
process of aging could be slowed down.With a team of colleagues at Tokyo National University,
he set about measuring brain volumes of a thousand people of different ages and jobs.
Computer technology enabled the researchers to get right measurements of the volume of the front and side sections of the brain, which relate to intellect and emotion, and determine the human character. Contraction (收缩) of the front and side parts as cells died was observed in some subjects in their thirties, but it was still not clear in some sixty and seventy-year-olds.Matsuzawa concluded from his tests that there is a simple remedy (补救) to the contraction normally associated with age using the head.
The findings show in general terms that contraction of the brain begins sooner in people in the country than in towns. Those least at risk, says Matsuzawa, are lawyers, followed by university professors and doctors. White collar workers doing routine work in government offices are, however, as likely to have shrinking (萎缩) brains as farm workers, bus drivers and shop assistants.
Matsuzawa's findings show that thinking can prevent the brain from shrinking. Blood must circulate properly in the head to supply the fresh oxygen the brain cells need. "The best way to keep good blood circulation is through using the brain," he says, "Think hard and engage in conversation. Don't rely on pocket calculators."wThe team of doctors wanted to find out ______.
| A．why certain people age sooner than others | B．how to make people live much longer |
| C．the size of certain people's brains | D．the people with more intelligence |
On what are their research findings based?
| A．A survey of farmers in northern Japan. |
| B．Tests performed on a thousand old people. |
| C．The study of brain volumes of different people. |
| D．The latest development of computer technology. |
Matsuzawa thinks that _______.
| A．our brains grow as we grow older |
| B．the front section of the brain does not shrink |
| C．sixty-year-old people have better brains than thirty-year-olds |
| D．the contraction of brains is connected with brain exercise |
According to the passage, which people seem to age slower than others?
| A．Farmers. | B．Lawyers. | C．Government workers. | D．Shop assistants.w |
Then we worked out a plan: When Christie takes one of her children out, I'll watch her other
three. And when she watches two of mine, I'll take someone out.w The children were extremely quick to accept the idea of “Mommy and Me” time. Christie's daughter, McKenzie, went first. When she returned, the other children showered her with tons of questions. McKenzie was smiling broadly. Christie looked refreshed and happy. “she's like a different child when there's no one else around,” Christie shared with me quietly. With her mother all to herself, McKenzie didn't have to make an effort to gain attention.
Just as Christie had noticed changes in McKenzie, I also discovered something different in each of my children during our alone times. For example, I am always surprised when my daughter, who is seldom close to me, holds my hand frequently. My stuttering（口吃的） son, Tom, doesn't stutter once during our ac
tivities since he doesn't have to struggle for a chance to speak. And the other son, Sam who's always follower when around other children shines as a leader during our times together.
The “Mommy and Me” time allows us to be simply alone and away with each child--talking, sharing, and laughing, which has been the biggest gain. Every child deserves（应得到） to be an only child at least once in a while.What is the text mainly about?w
| A．The basic needs of children. |
| B．The advantage of spending time with one child at a time. |
| C．The happy life of two families. |
| D．The experience of the only child being with mother. |
Right after McKenzie came back, the other children were ________.
| A．happy | B．curious | C．regretful | D．friendly |
What is one of the changes the author finds in her children?
| A．Tom has less difficulty in speaking. | B．Sam holds her hand more often. |
| C．The boys become better followers. | D．The daughter acts like a leader. |
The author seems to believe that ________.
| A．having brothers and sisters is fun | B．it's tiring to look after three children |
| C．every child needs parents' full attention | D．parents should watch others' children |
what it meant to serve a non–American: no tip. We would work just as hard as we always did,
but we might not get paid.
Americans have an unspoken rule about tipping: they give tips to almost everyone who
offers them a service of some kind. Americans tip their waiters, barbers and taxi drivers. An appropriate (合适的) tip is between 15 and 20 percent of the amount charged for the service, but the charge for the tip doesn’t appear on the bill. The customer is expected to add it on himself/herself.
So if you order $100 worth of food, you are expected to pay your waiter at least $15, making your total payment $115. Tipping less than this sends a message to your waiter that you think they’ve done a bad job serving you. And to leave no tip at all is simply unacceptable.
It’s not that American waiters are greedy. In many countries, waiters are paid a salary for their work. They’ll earn money even if no one c
omes into the restaurant. This system offers much more safety for waiters than the American version. In the US, waiters know that a night without customers means a night without pay.
Some countries include a tip for waiters – a “service charge” – on the bill itself. Since the tip is included with the other charges, waiters don’t need to worry about people forgetting to tip. But in the US, waiters do not receive a salary, and service charges only appear on bills when there are six or more customers at the table.
Since almost all American customers are familiar with the system, they know to add a tip without being told. But visitors to the US may expect waiters to be paid a salary, or think that the tip is included on the bill. So as much as we waiters loved hearing stories about other places from our foreign customers, we were always nervous when they got ready to leave the restaurant. We were never sure what to expect. Why would the author and her coworkers groan when they had to serve a non-American?
| A．They would have difficulty understanding the customer. |
B．They had to work ha rder to get tips from the customer. |
| C．They might not get any payment from the customer. |
| D．They thought a non-American customer would be hard to please. |
If you order $550 worth of food, you are supposed to pay your waiter at least ______.
| A．$55 | B．$82.5 | C．$100 | D．$110 |
Why would it be thought unacceptable not to tip a waiter in the US?
A．They enjoy  getting tips from their customers. |
| B．They work harder than waiters in other countries. |
| C．They are greedier than waiters in other countries. |
| D．They earn most of their money from diners’ tips. |
Most likely, you aren’t the family breadwinner. But doing a small job or getting a weekly allowance (零花钱) would put some money in your pocket. For kids and grown-ups alike, money is easy to spend. If you aren’t careful, it can be gone in no time.
Being responsible with your money is an important skill to learn ----and the sooner you start the better. Whether you are tracking your spending or saving for something special, creating a budget can help you deal with your expenses and plan for the future. All you need are paper and a pencil --- and some self-control.
First, take a look at our sample monthly budget. Then, use a separate sheet of paper to plan your own. In the first two columns (栏), list your sources (来源) of income and how much you expect to earn from them. In the third and fourth columns, list what you expect to spend your money on and the amount.
The left-hand total should be more than or equal to the right-hand total. If it is, you have an effective budget.
Sample Monthly Budget
| Monthly Income |
Amount |
Monthly Expenses |
Amount |
| Allowance |
$20.00 |
Snacks |
$26.00 |
| Money earned selling drinks |
$25.00 |
Music downloads |
$12.00 |
| Money earned babysitting |
$12.50 |
Movies |
$18.00 |
| Money earned delivering newspapers |
$30.00 |
Video rentals |
$10.00 |
| Total: |
$87.50 |
Total |
$66.00 |
Budgets are not complex, but sticking to them can be tough. When planning your budget, be
realistic about your expenses. If you know that you drop $18 at a movie, don’t write $12 in
that space simply because you wish you were spending less
If you are eyeing a big purchase, such as a $150 skateboard, spend less and save more until you have the total amount. No matter how attractive it may be, avoid spending your savings. One day, you will thank yourself!Who is the passage written for?w
| A．Children. | B．Parents. | C．Breadwinners. | D．Bank managers. |
The purpose of making a budget is to help people _________.
| A．learn to be realistic | B．increase their saving |
| C．manage their money well | D．test their power-control |
What should people do when planning a budget?w
| A．Fill in the expenses as they really are. |
| B．Avoid spending money on expensive things. |
| C．Set aside a fixed amount of money as savings. |
| D．List income and expenses on two pieces of paper. |
Which of the fol
lowing budgets is effective?
| A． Monthly Income Amount Monthly Expenses Amount Allowance $20.00 Money earned walking dogs $20.00 Bus fares $40.00 Movies $28.00 Total: $60 Total $48.00 |
| B． Monthly Income Amount Monthly Expenses Amount Allowance $20.00 Movies $30.00 Money earned washing cars $10.00 Bus fares $10.00 Total: $30.00 Total: $40.00 |
| C． Monthly Income Amount Monthly Expenses Amount Allowance $27.50 Money earned selling drinks $22.00 Money earned babysitting $22.50 Birthday gifts $28.00 Total: $50.00 Total: $50.00 |
| D． Monthly Income Amount Monthly Expenses Amount Allowance $26.00 Video rentals $22.00 Money earned doing yard work $24.00 Birthday gifts $28.00 Total: $50.00 Total: $50.00 |