My son. The phrase felt difficult and strange the first time I said it, and I had to practice it a thousand times. I started saying the words to myself the day when the ultrasound told me we were having a baby.
Finally, my son was born.
The nurse came out of the delivery room, holding a tiny, howling human being wrapped in a white sheet, his small hands and delicate fingers shaking nervously. “Baby Sanchez?” she asked, looking at the room full of expectant fathers.
I stood up, holding my breath. She showed me my baby. “My son,” I whispered. The little guy screamed, “waaaaaaaaaah.”
But in my heart I heard him cry out, “Daaaaaaad!” I don’t care if everyone in the room will swear they didn’t hear my baby say that. I called him, “My son,” and he called me “Dad,” and that’s that.
People ask me, “What did you feel at that moment?” I can’t even begin to answer. I’m a writer yet I try hard to find the right words. Joyful isn’t powerful enough. Bliss(狂喜) is not sweet enough. Peaceful isn’t calm enough. Happy isn’t tense enough.
After my son was taken away to the nursery, I sat down and shut my eyes. But tears escaped them away. Then out of the blue, my 80-year-old father entered, and we embraced.
“Dad,” I whispered.
“My son,” my heart heard him saying.
Suddenly the past 33 years folded into the present and I was now the baby bundled in white, with my father standing over me.
“My son,” I imagined him saying.
“Daaaaaaaaaad!” I cried my little lungs out.
At that point, I knew I was going to be a great father. The old man in front of me seemed to agree. He smiled and we walked out of the room in search of the tiny human being that would change our lives for ever.Which of the following statement is TRUE according to the passage?
A.His son called him “Dad” when the writer called him “My son”. |
B.All the people didn’t hear the baby say except the writer. |
C.Sanchez is the writer’s family name. |
D.The baby was taken away because the nurse found there was a mistake. |
The author couldn’t tell how he felt at the moment because ________.
A.he was a writer |
B.he was too excited |
C.he was too nervous |
D.it’s a feeling too complex to express |
We can learn the following from the passage EXCEPT that ________.
A.the author got his first baby |
B.he probably had a lung disease |
C.the author didn’t really hear “Daaaaad” from his baby |
D.the baby would change the author’s life |
Why was the writer sure he was going to be a great father?
A.Because his son is so gifted. |
B.Because he had much experience in bringing up children. |
C.Because his father promised to help him. |
D.Because his father had already set him a good example. |
Australia has passed regulations that will enable more international students to further their education in the country.
The new measures were released by the Australian Department of Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations in September and will take effect in mid-2012.
As a result, the student visa application process for overseas students has been simplified, and the deposit (押金) required to study in Australia has been reduced. Language requirements for overseas students have also been eased.
Also, overseas students receiving a higher education in Australia will be granted a working visa lasting from two to four years after graduation, as long as they meet the basic IELTS requirement.
"This change will definitely make Australia a more attractive destination for Chinese students planning to study overseas," says Wang Lan, a consultant from Education International Cooperation Group (EIC), a Beijing-based company that provides services to students wishing to study overseas.
However, in the past few years, many of Wang's student clients (客户) could not start studies in Australia because they did not meet the language requirements, visa processing took a long time and deposit regulations were tough. The change in policy is good news for the parents of students wishing to study in Australia, Wang says.
A 22-year-old female student surnamed Li, in Beijing, who is planning to do her postgraduate studies in Australia, learned about the policy change several weeks ago.
"According to the previous deposit requirement for my student visa, my family was required to put down 550,000 yuan ($86,850). Now we only need to prepare 410,000 yuan. This is a relief for my parents," Li says.
She also says that the two to four years working visa makes her feel much clearer about her study plans.
"I believe several years of working experience abroad will strengthen my competitiveness when I return to China," she says.
Gaining a competitive advantage is the major reason for Chinese students to study abroad, according to the report by EIC.What's the main idea of the passage?
A.Language requirement for overseas students have been eased in Australia. |
B.Australia is a most attractive place for students in China. |
C.Australia widens window of opportunity for international students. |
D.More students will work in Australia after their graduation. |
Which of the following is NOT the content of the new regulations?
A.The student visa application process for overseas students has been simplified. |
B.The deposit required to study in Australia has been reduced. |
C.Language requirements for overseas students have been more difficult. |
D.After graduation, some overseas students can get a working visa in Australia. |
After the new regulations are passed, _______ .
A.more students will come to Australia to work |
B.more Chinese students will choose to live in Australia. |
C.the opportunities to work in Australia decrease for overseas students |
D.more Chinese students will choose to further their education in Australia |
How much can Li's parents save according to the new regulations?
A.550,000 yuan | B.140,000 yuan | C.410,000 yuan | D.86,850 yuan |
Why do many students want to work in Australia after their graduation?
A.The working experience abroad will strengthen their competitiveness. |
B.They can earn more money in Australia. |
C.Their working experience can make them stay in Australia forever. |
D.They have to do so according to the new regulations. |
It’s not uncommon in America for a person to belong to some kind of volunteer group. Donating one’s time and services is very much a part of the American way of life. Most charitable activities are organized by churches and groups around the nation and even encouraged by the government. The helping hand is extended to the poor, the homeless and the disabled. Some people work to teach youngsters how to read. Others open up soup kitchens to feed the homeless. Volunteers also take care of the disabled by making reading tapes for the blind and working in orphanages(孤儿院)to help children without parents.
High school students are often encouraged to become volunteers and many school club activities center around volunteer services. Students may work with disabled children during a summer program, or participate in a club activity which helps to bring meal to senior citizens who are shut-ins. With their sense of idealism(理想主义)students are often eager to donate their spare time. They see such activities as a way of becoming involved in the community and the adult-world. Social action for them becomes as important as their academic studies.
In a like manner, throughout the year,fund raising drives are also conducted by schools and community groups to raise money for a worthy cause. They may respond to a recent earthquake in a foreign country, a flood somewhere within their own, or another natural disaster which has left people destitute and homeless. They may organize drives to collect food, clothing and medicines to serve an immediate need. Today even the Halloween custom of ‘trick or treat’has become an occasion to collect money for a charitable cause.
The motive to help those less fortunate comes from the poor origins of the American nation. Those immigrants who were poor and downtrodden(受压迫的)became dependent on the kindness of their neighbors to make a new life for themselves.
American volunteers work throughout the world in less developed countries. They volunteer by serving as a champion of goodwill both at home and abroad, which no doubt enriches both his life and those whom he serves. Which of the following charitable activities is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A.Some people open up soup kitchens to feed homeless people. |
B.Some students bring meals to old people who can’t go out easily. |
C.Some people collect money to help a foreign country with a recent earthquake. |
D.Some students donate books to children in mountainous areas. |
Why are American high school students eager to do voluntary work?
A.Because they want to participate in some social activities. |
B.Because they want to go to better universities. |
C.Because they can get higher scores at school. |
D.Because they can realize their dream sooner. |
The underlined word “destitute” in Paragraph 4 probably means .
A.lifeless | B. penniless | C.useless | D.valueless |
American charitable activities started because ___________.
A.Americans are always ready to share with others |
B.Americans are mostly kind |
C.poor immigrants needed help badly |
D.poor Americans couldn’t live on without help |
What’s the best title of the passage?
A.The Call from the Poor | B.Voluntary Work in the US |
C.Ways to help the Poor | D.American Volunteers Around the World |
A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were talking at a reunion and decided to visit their old university professor, now retired. During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work and lives.
Offering his guests hot chocolate, the professor went into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot chocolate and other things including cups-porcelain(瓷杯子), glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some elegant -- telling them to help themselves to the hot chocolate.
When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in hand, the professor said: "I notice that all the nice looking and expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. The cup that you're drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was hot chocolate, not the cup; but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each others cups. Now consider this: Life is the hot chocolate; your job, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life. The cup you have does not define, nor change the quality of life you have. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate we have. The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything that they have. Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Thank the Lord for your blessings in 2011. And enjoy your hot chocolate in 2012!” When did they decide to go to see their professor?
A.After the reunion. | B.During the get-together. |
C.Before they graduated. | D.Just after the professor retired. |
Why did the professor offer them different cups?
A.Because cups were not enough for everyone. |
B.Because cups were beautiful. |
C.Because the professor wanted to teach them something. |
D.Because hot chocolate should be contained in different cups. |
What caused the professor to say those words?
A.Their graduation. | B.Their reunion. | C.Their visit. | D.Their complaints. |
What does the word “cup” in this passage refer to?
A.Life | B.happy things in life |
C.hot chocolate | D.tools to hold and contain life |
What is the purpose of the professor’s words?
A.To tell them life is not easy, so try their best to be happy. |
B.To educate them that the happiest people don't have the best of everything. |
C.To wish them to be grateful to their life and make the best of everything that they have. |
D.To use different cups to tell them they should try different things in life. |
A new study suggests that the roundtheclock availability that cell phones have brought to people's lives may take a toll on family life. The study,which followed more than 1,300 adults over 2 years, found that those who consistently used a mobile phone throughout the study period were more likely to report negative “spillover” between work and home life—and,in turn,less satisfaction with their family life.
Spillover essentially(本质上)means that the line between work and home begins to become unclear. Work life may invade home life when a parent is taking jobrelated calls at home,for instance—or family issues may start to take up work time. For example,a child may call mum at work,telling her “microwave exploded”,explained Noelle Chesley,an assistant professor of sociology at the University of WisconsinMilwaukee and the author of the study. The problem with cell phones seems to be that they are allowing for even more spillover between work and home.
This may be especially true for working women,the study found. Among men,consistent use of mobile phones seemed to allow more work issues to creep (潜入)into family time. But for women,the spillover tended to go in both directions. Being “connected” meant that work cut into home time,and family issues came into work life.
Cell phones seem to be opening more lines for stressful exchanges among family members. But there may be ways to control the spillover,according to Chesley. Employers, she said,could look at their policies on contacting employees after hours to make sure their expectations are “reasonable”.For their part,employees could decide that cell phones go off during family time, Chesley said.What does the underlined phrase “take a toll on” probably mean in Paragraph 1?
A.Explaining. | B.Founding. | C. Extending | D.Damaging. |
According to Chesley,what is the best solution to the problem caused by cell phones?
A.Separate work hours from family time. |
B.Refuse to use cell phones. |
C.Ignore coming calls during family time. |
D.Encourage women to stay at home. |
We can learn from the passage that ________.
A.cell phones affect men as much as women |
B.cell phones seem to be convenient to families |
C.cell phones make the line between work and home unclear |
D.we can do nothing to solve the problem |
What is the main idea of the passage?
A.How to control the negative spillover caused by cell phones. |
B.How work life invades home life. |
C.Consistent use of cell phones makes people feel less satisfied with their work. |
D.Cell phones cause negative “spillover” between work life and home life. |
Insidethepleasinglyfragrantcafe,SoAllMayEat(SAME)indowntownDenver,t
hespiritof generosity is instantlynoticeable: donation box stands in place of
a cash register customersherepayonly whattheycanafford,noquestionsasked.
Ariskybusinessplan,perhaps,butSAMECaféhasdoneoneunchangeablethingi
ntheMileHighCityforsixyears:Openonlyatmidday,therestaurantallowsp
oorlocal customers who cannot pay to work as volunteers instead. They can act as
waitersandwaitresses,anddishwashers,orlookafterthebuildingsandequipment
forthecafe.It’sbasedontrust,andit’sworkingallright”,saysco-owne
rBradBirky,whostartedthecaféin2006.Previouslyvolunteeringatsoupkitc
hens,theBirkysweredissatisfiedwiththeoftenunhealthymealstheyservedt
here.“Wewantedtoofferqualityfoodinarestaurantwhereevery-onefeltco
mfortable,regardlessoftheircircumstances,”Birkysays.SAME’sspeciallunc
hmenuchangsdailyandmostfoodmaterialsarenaturalandgrownbylocalfarm
ers.Thecafénowaverages65to70customers(andeightvolunteers)aday.And
thespiritofgenerositybehindtheprojectappearstobespreading.Inearly
2007,onevolunteerwhohadclearedsnowforhismealsduringthelongwintersai
dgoodbyetotheBirkys.HesaidhewasgoingtoNewOrleanstohelpwiththehu
rricane clearingup,”saysBirky.What can we learn about the soup kitchens the Birkys previously worked for?
A.They refused to have volunteers. |
B.They offered low quality food. |
C.They provided customers with a good environment. |
D.They closed down because of poor management. |
According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
A.The customers who cannot pay can work as volunteers instead. |
B.More volunteers will go to new Orleans for the hurricane cleanup. |
C.Many new cafes will be opened to offer free lunches in the town. |
D.The lunch menu has remained the same since the café was started. |
The author’s attitude towards running such a café is_______
A.unfavorable | B.doubtful | C.cautious | D.approving |