Last week my youngest son and I visited my father at his new home in Tucson, Arizona. He moved there a few years ago, and I was eager to see his new place and meet his friends.
My earliest memories of my father are a tall, handsome, successful man devoted to his work and his family, but uncomfortable with his children. As a child I loved him. He seemed unhappy with me unless I got straight A’s and unhappy with my boyfriends if their fathers were not as “successful” as he was. Whenever I went out with him on weekends, I used to struggle to think up things to say, feeling on guard.
On the first day of my visit, we went out with one of my father’s friends for lunch at an outdoor café. We talked along that afternoon, did some shopping, ate on the street table, and laughed over my son’s funny facial expressions. Gone was my father’s critical (挑剔的) air and strict rules. Who was this person I knew as my father, who seemed so friendly and interesting to be around? What had held him back before?
The next day dad pulled out his childhood pictures and told me quite a few stories about his own childhood. Although our times together became easier over the years, I never felt closer to him at that moment. After so many years, I’m at last seeing another side of my father. And in so doing, I’m delighted with my new friend. My dad, in his new home in Arizona, is back to me from where he was. Why did the author feel bitter about her father as a young adult?
| A．He was silent most of the time. | B．He was too proud of himself. |
| C．He did not love his children. | D．He expected too much of her. |
When the author went out with her father on weekend, she would feel .
| A．nervous | B．sorry | C．tired | D．safe |
What does the author think of her father after her visit to Tucson?
| A．More critical. | B．More talkative |
| C．Gentle and friendly. | D．Strict and hard-working. |
The underlined words “my new friend” in the last paragraph refer to .
| A．the author’s son | B．the author’s father |
| C．the friend of the author’s father | D．the café owner |
“I Went Skydiving at 84!”
As a young girl growing up in the 1930s, I always wanted to fly a plane, but back then it was almost unheard of for a woman to do that. I got a taste of that dream in 2001,when my husband arranged for me to ride in a hot air balloon for my birthday. But the experience turned out to be very dull. Around that time, I told my husband that I wanted to skydive. So when our retirement community（社区）announced that they were having an essay competition and the topic was an experience of a lifetime that you wanted to have, I decided to write about my dream.
In the essay, I wrote about my desire to skydive, stating George Brush Sr. did it at age 80. Why not me? I was just 84 and in pretty good health. A year went by and I heard nothing. But then at a community party in late April 2009, they announced that I was one of the winners. I just couldn’t believe it. Inspired by this， I decided to realize my dream, even though some of my family members and my doctor were against it.
On June 11, 2009, nearly 40 of my family and friends gathered in the area close to where I would land while I headed up in the airplane. My instructor, Jay, guided me through the experience. The plane was the noisiest one I had ever been in, but I wasn’t frightened—I was really just looking forward to the experience. When we reached 13,000 feet, Jay instructed me to throw myself out of the plane. When we first hit the air, the wind was so strong that I could hardly breathe. For a second I thought, “What have I gotten myself into?” But then everything got calmer. We were in a free fall for about a minute before Jay opened the parachute（降落伞）, then we just floated downward for about five minutes. Being up in the clouds and looking at the view below was unlike anything I have ever felt—much better than the hot air balloon. I was just enjoying it.
Skydiving was really one of the greatest experiences of my life. I hope other people will look at me and realize that you don’t stop living just because you are 84 years old. If there’s something you want to experience, look into it. If it’s something that is possible, make it happen.What happened to the author in 2001?
| A．She flew an airplane | B．She entered a competition |
| C．She went on a hot air balloon ride | D．She moved into a retirement community |
The author mentioned George Bush Sr. in her essay to .
| A．build up her own reputation | B．show her admiration for him |
| C．compare their health condition | D．make her argument persuasive |
How did the author feel immediately after she jumped out of the plane?
| A．Excited | B．Scared | C．Nervous | D．Regretful |
What did the author enjoy most when she was skydiving?
| A．The beautiful clouds | B．The wonderful view |
| C．The company of Jay | D．The one-minute free fall |
Which word could be used to replace the word “instructor,” in Paragraph 3?
| A．doctor | B．conductor | C．pilot | D．trainer |
Can you communicate with others when you live in a foreign country with no or little knowledge of its language? Of course, it is possible. You can communicate your moods and intentions to one another without words, because all human beings share a lot of common visual（看见的）signals. These signals are as effective as words during communication.
The gestures of the head play a key role in body language. The movements of eyes and eyebrows are as important as head movements in body language.
Besides the gestures of the head or the movements of the eyes and eyebrows, the action of arms, hands and legs is also a large part of body language. Extending one's arm and shaking hands with others is a greeting in both formal and informal cases. This part of body language might date back to primary tribes（部落）.
Like handshaking, there are still many other forms of body language presented by hands. Raising one's hand and making a circle with his thumb（拇指）and for finger signals, that something is OK. Clasped（握紧的）hands raised above the head, a traditional picture accepted by sportsmen after winning a fight, is a display of triumph that grows out of a kind of feeling following a victory. Waving one's hands, a speaker can make his words more powerful and vigorous（有活力的）.
Besides hand gestures, there are times when a person says something with his legs as well as with his head and eyes. The leg gestures often reflect one's attitude towards something or someone that person is with.
According to the above facts, body language has offered a more reliable（可靠的）way to understand one's mind by means of gestures. Though it is soundless and wordless, once you understand it, you will feel the world is bigger than you realized. Which of the following is the proper title for this passage?
| A．Body Language | B．How to Communicate with the People around You |
| C．The History of Body Language | D．Gestures And Languages |
After reading the passage we can conclude that ________.
| A．hand shaking suggests that the speaker is excited |
| B．head plays a less important part in body language |
| C．actors and actresses are good at gestures |
| D．people began to use body language long long ago |
What's the characteristic of body language?
| A．Soundless and wordless. | B．Difficult to understand. |
| C．Powerful and vigorous. | D．Effective and normal |
When sports men win a match, they probably ________.
| A．clasp their hands to announce their victory |
| B．clasp their hands to express their excited feeling |
| C．have a picture taken as soon as possible |
| D．show a sign of thankfulness |
When thinking about quitting(停止) smoking…
List all the reasons why you want to quit. Every night before going to bed, repeat one of the reasons 10 times.
Decide positively that you want to quit. Try to avoid negative thoughts about how difficult it might be. Develop strong personal reasons as well as your health and responsibility to others. For example, think of all the time you waste taking cigarette breaks, rushing out to buy a pack, hunting a light, etc. Set a date for quitting --- perhaps a special day like your birthday, a holiday. If you smoke heavily at work, quit during your vacation. Make the date seriously, and don't let anything change it. Begin to condition yourself physically; start a modest (适当的) exercise; drink more water; get plenty of rest.
Immediately after quitting...
The first few days after you quit, spend as much free time as possible in places where smoking is prohibited, e.g. libraries, museums, theatres, department stores, etc.
Drink large quantities of water and fruit juice. Try to avoid wine, coffee, and other drinks which remind you of cigarette smoking.
Start a conversation with someone instead of a match for a cigarette.
If you miss the feeling of having a cigarette in your hand, play with something else - a pencil, a pen, a ruler. If you miss having something in your mouth, try a fake (仿制的) cigarette.According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?
| A．Whenever you feel like a cigarette, try to forget it by sleeping. |
| B．Try to start a conversation before asking for a light. |
| C．If you miss the feeling of having a cigarette in your mouth, play with a pen. |
| D．Every night before going to bed, repeat all the reasons 10 times. |
From the passage, we know smokers __________.
| A．should drink a lot of coffee | B．have to stop to smoke from time to time |
| C．should drink a lot of wine | D．should not do any exercise |
According to the passage, what does the underlined word “prohibited” mean?
| A．forbidden | B．allowed | C．received | D．welcomed |
If the passage is in a newspaper, which section is it in?
| A．Sports | B．News | C．Health | D．Culture |
Today, roller skating is easy and fun．But a long time ago, it wasn’t easy at all. Before 1750, the idea of skating didn’t exist. That changed because of a man named Joseph Merlin. Merlin’s work was making musical instruments. In his spare time he liked to play the violin. Joseph Merlin was a man of ideas and dreams. People called him a dreamer.
One day Merlin received an invitation to attend a fancy dress ball. He was very pleased and a little excited. As the day of the party came near, Merlin began to think how to make a grand entrance at the party. He had an idea. He thought he would get a lot of attention if he could skate into the room.
Merlin tried different ways to make himself roll. Finally, he decided to put two wheels under each shoe. These were the first roller skates. Merlin was very proud of his invention and dreamed of arriving at the party on wheels while playing the violin.
On the night of the party Merlin rolled into the room playing his violin. Everyone was astonished to see him. There was just one problem. Merlin had no way to stop his roller skates. He rolled on and on. Suddenly, he ran into a huge mirror that was hanging on the wall. Down fell the mirror, breaking to pieces. Nobody forgot Merlin’s grand entrance for a long time!The text is mainly about ________.
| A．a strange man |
| B．an unusual party |
| C．how the roller skating began |
| D．how people enjoyed themselves in the 18th century |
People thought Merlin was a dreamer because he _________.
| A．often gave others surprises | B．was a gifted musician |
| C．invented the roller skates | D．was full of imagination |
Merlin put wheels under his shoes in order to ________ .
| A．impress the party guests | B．arrive at the party sooner |
| C．test his invention | D．show his skill in walking on wheels |
What is the main point the writer is trying to make in the last paragraph?
| A．The roller skates needed further improvement. |
| B．The party guests took Merlin for a fool. |
| C．Merlin succeeded beyond expectation. |
| D．Merlin got himself into trouble. |
Chinese are very generous when it comes to educating their children. Not caring about the money, parents often send their children to the best schools or even abroad to England, the United States and Australia. They also want their children to take extra-course activities where they will either learn a musical instrument or ballet, or other classes which will give them a head in life. The Chinese believe that the more expensive an education is, the better it is. So parents will spend an unreasonable amount of money on education. Even poor couples will buy a computer for their son or daughter.
However, what most parents fail to see is that the best early education they can give their children is usually very cheap.
Parents can see that their children are very skilled in some areas while poor in others. What most parents fail to realize though, is that today’s children lack self-respect and self-confidence.
The problem is that parents are only educating their children on how to take multiple-choice tests and how to study well, but parents are not teaching them the most important skills that they need to be confident, happy and clever.
Parents can achieve this by teaching practical skills like cooking, sewing and doing other housework.
Teaching a child to cook will improve many of the skills that he will need later in life. Cooking demands patience and time. It is an enjoyable but difficult experience. A good cook always tries to improve his cooking, so he will learn to work hard and gradually finish his job successfully. His result, a well-cooked dinner, will give him much satisfaction and lots of self-confidence.
Some old machines, such as a broken radio or TV set that you give your child to play with will make him curious and arouse his interest. He will spend hours looking at them, trying to fix them; your child might become an engineer when he grows up. These activities are not merely teaching a child to read a book, but rather to think, to use his mind. And that is more important.Generally speaking, children’s skills __________.
| A．come from their parents |
| B．have nothing to do with their education |
| C．may be different from child to child |
| D．have something to do with their marks in the exams |
The writer of this passage does not seem to be satisfied with_______.
| A．the parents’ ideas of educating their children |
| B．the education system |
| C．children’s skills |
| D．children’s hobbies |
Doing some cooking at home helps children_________.
| A． learn how to serve their parents |
| B． learn how to become strong and fat |
| C． benefit from it and prepare themselves for the future |
| D． make their parents believe that they are clever |
According to the passage, which of the following is True?
| A．Chinese are not very generous on educating their children. |
| B．All Parents know how to teach their children well. |
| C．Teaching a child to cook can improve the skills that he will need in the future. |
| D．Poor parents cannot buy a computer for their children. |