Combining families with kids can be tough and offers even more unexpected problems. You just don’t know how things will shake out until everyone is under one roof, trying on new roles with name that start with “step”. This is what happened to Sheila and Will, and Sheila’s 8-year-old daughter Ashley. After the couple got married, and Will became the member of the new family, things got worse than expected. How did they make it work? Read the full version of the story here.
Shelia’s Turn: When Shelia and Will were dating, he seemed like kids, especially Ashley. He’d bring her presents, play games with her. But after the wedding, things took a turn. Will suddenly became a super strict stepfather, scolding Ashley for watching too much cartoons, constantly picking fights and punishing her for offenses as small as spilling milk. Shelia’s thought about leaving Will, but soon after they married, they had a son, Billy. Will adores his well-behaved boy, but Ashley hates him. Shelia doesn’t know what to do--- her daughter is miserable, but leaving her husband might mean losing her son.
Will’s turn: Will was so excited to be a male role model in Ashley’s life. He didn’t just want to be a guy living in her house; he wanted to treat her like his own daughter, which, to Will, meant giving Ashley more rules and help her learn responsibility. He’d always felt that Shelia let Ashley loose on everything. But after the wedding, Will was surprised that Shelia didn’t want him to do that. If Will takes away Ashley’s TV privileges or tells her to clean up her room, Shelia just lets Ashley do what she likes and does it herself. Will was tired of this and he’d rather take his son and go.
The advisor’s turn: The counselor(顾问) quickly recognized their conflict as a classic case of unspoken, hidden expectations. Before the wedding, when it was just Shelia and Will, everything was easy. But now, everyone in their big family is competing for attention, and the couple never sat down and discussed the biggest issue---their child-upbringing philosophies(育儿经). The counselor suggested Shelia allow Will to give some rules on Ashley but Will’s punishments couldn’t be extreme. Once Ashley saw that her mom and stepdad had become a united front, she cooperated more.The text is most likely to be found in a book about______.
| A．popular science | B．historical events |
| C．social problems | D．political systems |
The reasons for Ashley’s dislike of Will are as follows except_____?
| A．Will often picked fights with Ashley. |
| B．Ashley often spilled milk on the floor. |
| C．Will always punished her for bad behaviors. |
| D．Ashley was stopped watching too many cartoons. |
What can we know about Will?
| A．Will has a good intention. |
| B．Will does not love children |
| C．Will does not love Shelia any more |
| D．Will’s way of parenting is very perfect. |
It can be inferred from the passage that the advisor’s attitude to their problem?
| A．Negative | B．Objective | C．Critical | D．. Subjective |
Weddings in the United States vary as much as the people do. There are church weddings with a great deal of fanfare（仪式上用的短曲）; there are weddings on mountain-tops with guests barefooted (赤脚的); and there have been weddings on the ocean floor with oxygen tanks for the guests. But many weddings, no matter where or how they are performed, include certain traditional customs.
Before a couple is married, they become engaged. And then invitations are sent to those who live nearby, their close friends and their relatives who live far away. When everything is ready, then comes the most exciting moment.
The wedding itself usually lasts between 20 and 40 minutes. The wedding party enters the church while the wedding march is played. The bride carrying a bouquet （花束）enters last with her father who will "give her away ". The bridegroom enters the church from a side door. When the wedding party is gathered by the altar, the bride and bridegroom exchange vows (誓言). It is traditional to use the words "To have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part ". Following the vows, the couple exchange rings. Wearing the wedding ring on the fourth finger of the left hand is an old custom.
After the ceremony there is often a party, called a "reception" which gives the wedding guests an opportunity to congratulate the new couple . The car in which the couple leaves the church is decorated with balloons, streamers and shaving cream. The words "Just Married" are painted on the trunk or back window. The bride and bridegroom run to the car under a shower of rice thrown by the wedding guests. When the couple drives away from the church, friends often chase them in cars, honking (鸣汽车喇叭)and drawing attention to them. And then the couple go on their honeymoon.This passage is written mainly to let us know something about _______ .
| A．health and lifestyle | B．science and technology |
| C．culture and custom | D．education and entertainment |
Why do the wedding guests throw a lot of rice at the bride and bridegroom when they run to the car ?
| A．To wish them good luck . | B．To make fun of them. |
| C．Not mentioned . | D．To draw attention to them . |
Which of the following is TRUE of American weddings ?
| A．They are always held in churches whoever they are . |
| B．The bride’s father is usually present to lead his daughter to the bridegroom and give her to him . |
| C．Only bridegrooms send rings to brides . |
| D．Brides needn’t make vows before bridegrooms . |
Which of the following is the correct order in which the following events happen ?
a. sending invitation b. going on honeymoon
c. attending the wedding d. giving a reception
e. getting engaged
| A．e-b-c-d-a | B．e-c-d-a-b | C．b-c-d-a-e | D．e-a-c-d-b |
One day a few years ago, a very funny thing happened to a neighbor of mine. He is a teacher at one of London's big medical schools. He had finished his teaching for the summer term and was at the airport on his way to Russia to give a lecture.
He had put a few clothes and his lecture notes in his shoulder bag , and he had put Rupert, the skeleton (人体骨架）to be used in his lecture, in a large brown suitcase. At the airport desk, he suddenly thought that he had forgotten to buy a newspaper. He left his suitcase near the desk and went over to the shop.
When he got back, he discovered that someone had taken his suitcase by mistake. He often wonders what they said when they got home and found Rupert.Who wrote the story?
| A．Rupert's teacher. | B．The neighbor's teacher. |
| C．A medical school teacher. | D．The teacher's neighbor. |
Why did the teacher put a skeleton in his suitcase?
| A．He needed it for the summer term in London. |
| B．He needed it for the lecture he was going to give. |
| C．He wanted to take it to Russia for medical research. |
| D．He wanted to take it home as he had finished his teaching. |
What happened at the airport?
| A．The skeleton went missing. | B．The skeleton was stolen. |
| C．The teacher forgot his suitcase. | D．The teacher took the wrong suitcase. |
Which of the following best tells the teacher's feeling about the incident?
| A．He was angry. | B．He thinks it very funny. |
| C．He feels helpless without Rupert. | D．He feels good without Rupert. |
Which of the following might have happened afterwards?
| A．The teacher got back the suitcase but not Rupert. |
B．The teach er got back neither the suitcase nor Rupert. |
| C．The teacher got back Rupert but not the suitcase. |
| D．The teacher got back both the suitcase and Rupert. |
Many Chinese students who have learnt English for more than ten years are still unable to speak English very well when they meet a foreigner. They seem to have mastered the basic language structure(结构), but a conversation in English will make them feel uneasy. They are afraid that other people might find out their mistakes.
It's uncommon that many students who are bad speaker
s of English can write English perfectly. This proves that they are unable to organize their idea in English. The center of the problem is that they lack practice and confidence (自信).
Why should you be afraid? Do you fear those foreigners with whom you are speaking? Don't be shy, they will not laugh at you just for a little mistake you make. The best way to get rid of trouble is to learn to speak by speaking more. I am sure that constant practice will help you succeed.What's the best topic for the passage?
| A．How to Speak to Foreigners | B．How to Study English Well |
C．How to Organize  the Idea in English |
D．Practice Speaking English All the Time |
Many Chinese students can write English very well, but they cannot speak English fluently because _______________.
A．they seldom  meet foreigners |
| B．they seldom practice speaking English |
| C．they had no chance to speak English |
| D．they think it's enough to master the basic language structure only |
So many Chinese students are afraid to speak to foreigners because __.
| A．they are afraid they can't understand foreigners |
| B．they don't think their English is poor |
| C．they worry about making mistakes in their speaking |
| D．they didn't like speaking to foreigners |
According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
| A．We can speak English fluently by doing more speaking. |
| B．If you can write English perfectly, you are able to organize your idea in English. |
| C．If you can write good English composition, you can speak English very well. |
| D．Any Chinese students can't speak English fluently because they are afraid of making mistakes. |
In the last paragraph, the expression "get rid of" means_______.
| A．throw away | B．free oneself from | C．give up | D．do with |
What exactly is a lie? Is it anything we say which we know is untrue? Or is it something more than that? For example, suppose a friend wants to borrow some money from you. You say “I wish I could help you, but I am short of money myself.” In fact, you are not short of money but your friend is in the habit of not paying his debts and you don’t want to hurt his feelings by reminding him of this. Is this really a lie?
Professor Jerald Jellison of the University of southern California has made a scient
ific study of lyi
ng. According to him, women are be
tter lies than men, particularly when telling a “white lie”, such as
when a woman at a party tells ano
ther woman that she likes her dress when she really thinks it’s terrible. However, this is only one side of the story. Other researchers say that men are more likely to tell more serious lies, such as making a promise that they have no intention of carrying out. This is the kind of lie politicians and businessmen are supposed to be particularly skilled at: the lie from which the liar hopes to profit or gain in some way.
Research has been done into the way people’s behavior changes in a number of small, unimportant ways when they lie. It has been found that if they are sitting down at the time, they tend to move about in their chairs more than usual. To the trained observer they are saying “I wish I were somewhere else now”. They also tend to touch certain parts of the face, particularly the nose. One explanation of this may be that lying causes a slight increase in blood pressure. The tip of the nose is very sensitive to changes and the increased pressure makes it itch.
Another gesture that gives liars away is what the writer Decmond Morris in his book Man Watching calls the “mouth cover”. He says that there are several typical forms of this, such as covering part of the mouth with the fingers, touch the upper lip or putting a finger of the hand at one side off the mouth. Such a gesture can be understood as an unconscious(未察觉的) attempt on the part of the liar to stop himself from lying.
Of course, such gestures as rubbing the nose or covering the mouth, moving about in a chair can not be taken as proof that the speaker is lying. They simply tend to happen more often in this situation. It is one gesture alone that gives the liar away but a whole number of things, and in particular the context(上下文) which the lie is told.According to the passage, a white lie seems to be a lie ______.
| A．that other people believe |
| B．that other people don’t believe |
| C．told in order not to hurt someone’s feelings |
| D．told in order to take advantage of someone |
Research suggests that women _____.
A．are better at telling les s serious lies than men |
| B．generally lie for more than men do |
| C．often make promises they intend to break |
| D．lie at parties more often than men do |
Researchers find that when a person tells lies _____.
| A．his blood pressure increases measurably |
| B．he looks very serious |
| C．he is likely to make some small changes in his behavior |
| D．he uses his unconscious mind |
The writer of the passage______.
| A．hates lying | B．enjoys lying | C．often tells a lie | D．tries to study about lying |
Which of the following is not mentioned in the passage as a sign of lying ?
| A．Touching one’s ears | B．Rubbing the nose |
| C．Moving in a chair | D．Covering the mouth |
A traveler hurried down to the hall of an American hotel and went to the cash-desk. He had just 15 minutes to pay his bill and get to the station. Suddenly he remembered that he had left something in his room.
"Look here, boy," he said to the bellboy, "run up to my room and see if I have left a parcel on the table there. Be quick about it."
The boy ran upstairs. Five minutes passed. The traveler was walking up and down the hall, looking very angry. At last the boy appeared.
"Yes, sir," he reported to the traveler," you have left the parcel there, it's right on the table in your room."The traveler _______.
| A．ran down the street |
| B．came downstairs hurriedly |
| C．ran so quickly that he fell down |
| D．came into the hotel hall very quickly |
Whichh statement is true?
| A．He had to pay his bill and arrived at the station in 15 minutes . |
| B．It took him 15 minutes to go to the station from the hotel. |
| C．He could pay his bill in 15 minutes and then go to the station . |
| D．He had nothing but 15 minutes. |
According to the passage, a bellboy is _____.
A. a boy whose work is to ring the bell
B. a boy who plays with a bell
C. a boy whose work in a hotel is to he
lp guests with their bagsThe traveler asked the boy _____ .
| A．to go upstairs |
| B．to look for his parcel |
| C．to fetch the parcel he had left in his room |
| D．only to see if the parcel was on the table in his room |
Five minutes later, the boy ______ .
| A．ran up to the room |
| B．came downstairs |
| C．reported to the traveler in the room |
| D．came down to the hall but brought nothing back |