Moving to a new city and state was difficult for me, especially in winter. Little did I know that a Colorado snowstorm would greet me after I had been in my new home for only a week.
I just missed home. But more than the old house and the beach, I missed Stacey, my best friend. And I missed our lovely tea. Going to a sweet little tearoom, we had discovered was a special treat for us. The place was a Victorian dream, with delicate teacups and tablecloths with flower prints. The hat shelf near the front door swept us back to childhood. Stacey and I became little girls, trying on different hats until we found the perfect one for our dress-up tea party. We would then choose a lovely table and order our tea. That was a precious time, filled with laughter between scones（煎饼） and sharing our lives between tiny cucumber sandwiches.
Springtime descended upon Denver, and the sun lightened my heart. But I still fought loneliness almost every day. I decided to explore the Denver area. While my husband went to the office, I took time to see what our new area had to offer.
One day, I was walking along the street when suddenly the words "Tea Leaves" caught my eye. A tea room? Here, in the land of loneliness and pain?
I walked through the doors, and tears came to my eyes. It was a beautiful room, not Victorian, but simple and lovely.
I sat down and ordered a pot of tea, a cucumber sandwich, and some scones.It felt silly and wonderful --- and it felt like home. For the first time since moving, I felt as if this new city and state could be, would eventually be, my home. I would come back here and bring new friends. When Stacey visited, we would come here.
I lifted my cup and made a silent toast. I toasted Stacey, whom I missed ly, and I toasted the sweet little tearoom that lessened my pain. The author's hometown ______________.
| A．never snows |
| B．is still warm in winter |
| C．has a long history |
| D．is in an area by the sea |
The underlined word "treat" in Paragraph 2 probable means ____________.
| A．delicious food | B．something pleasant |
| C．service | D．a kind of tea party |
We can know from Paragraph 3 that the author ______________.
| A．didn't adapt to the new life |
| B．felt comfortable in the new environment in spring |
| C．didn't feel lonely any more in spring |
| D．wanted to actively adapt to the new environment |
Which of the following about "Tea Leaves" is true?
| A．It made the author recall her childhood. |
| B．It looks silly and wonderful. |
| C．Cucumber sandwiches and scones are its specialties. |
| D．It touched the author. |
We can infer from the text that the author would probably ____________.
| A．open her own teahouse |
| B．ask the owner of the teahouse to decorate it like a home |
| C．make new friends in Denver |
| D．go back to her hometown to visit Stacey |
Today we tell about the expression “down to earth”．Down to earth means being open and honest．It is easy to deal with someone who is down to earth．Such people could be important members of society, but they do not consider themselves to be better than others who are less important．They do not let their importance “go to their heads.” Someone who lets something go to his head feels he is better than others．He has a “big head.”
A person who is filled with his own importance and pride is said to have “his nose in the air．”Often the person who has a big head and his nose in the air has no reason to feel better than others．
Americans use another expression that is similar in some ways to down to earth---“both feet on the ground.” Someone with both feet on the ground is a person with a good understanding of reality．She has what is called “common sense.” She does not allow her dreams to block her understanding of what is real．
The opposite kind of person is one who has his “head in the clouds.” Someone with his head in the clouds is a person whose mind is not on what is happening in real life．Such a person may be called a “daydreamen.”
The person who is down to earth usually has both feet on the ground．But the opposite is not always true．Someone with both feet on the ground may not be as open and easy to deal with as someone who is down to earth．
When we have both our feet firmly on the ground，and when we are down to earth，we do not have our noses in the air．We act honestly and openly to others．And our lives are like the ground below up—solid and strong．He who considers himself to be better and more important than others is likely to.
| A．have his head in the clouds | B．be easy to deal with |
| C．have a “common sense” | D．have “a big head” |
Which of the following expressions is similar to “down to earth”?
| A．“his nose in the air” | B．“go to his head” |
| C．“both feet on the ground” | D．“daydreamer” |
The passage is mainly about．
| A．some popular American expressions | B．how to be down to earth |
| C．why to be honest and open | D．how to deal with someone who is down to earth |
Ed Viesturs grew up in Rockford, Illinois, where the tallest thing on the horizon was the water tower. But on Thursday, Viesturs became the only American to climb to the top of the world's 14 highest mountains.
His last hike was up Mount Annapurna, in Asia's snowcapped Himalayas. At 26,545 feet, its peak is the 10th highest in the world. It is the mountain that inspired him to start climbing.
"It tends to be the trickiest, the most dangerous," said Viesturs. "There's no simple way to climb it. There are threatening avalanches (雪崩) and ice falls that protect the mountain."
In high school, Viesturs read French climber Maurice Herzog's tale of climbing the icy Annapurna. Herzog's story was of frostbite (冻伤) and difficulty and near-death experiences. Viesturs was hooked right away.
Viesturs got his start on Washington's Mount Rainier in 1977, guiding hikes in the summer. Fifteen years ago, he set out to walk up to the world's highest peaks. Finally, he's done.
The pioneering climber talks about mountains as if they were living creatures that should be treated with respect. "You have to use all of your senses, all of your abilities to see if the mountain will let you climb it," said Viesturs. "If we have the patience and the respect, and if we're here at the right time, under the right circumstances, they allow us to go up, and allow us to come down."
What's next for a man who can't stop climbing? "I'm going to hug my wife and kids and kind of kick back and enjoy the summer," says Viesturs. But for a man who's climbed the world's 14 tallest mountains, he will probably soon set off on yet another adventure. What record has Ed Viesturs set?
| A．He has succeeded in climbing to the world’s 14th highest mountain. |
| B．He has been to the top of the world’s 14 highest mountains. |
| C．He has become the first to climb to the height of 26,545feet. |
| D．He has become the first man to climb to the top of 14 highest mountains in the world. |
The underlined word “hooked” in Paragraph 4 can be replaced by “______”.
| A．frightened | B．discouraged | C．interested | D．upset |
The author used Viestures’ words in Paragraph 6 to support a view that ______.
| A．mountain climbing is a dangerous sport |
| B．mountains should be regarded as living creatures |
| C．mountain climbing needs more skills than physical energy |
| D．those who like mountain climbing won’t stop climbing |
What’s the next probably plan of Viestures?
| A．Stopping climbing and staying with his family. |
| B．Climbing to the top of the world’s 14 tallest mountains again. |
| C．Climbing another one of the highest mountains. |
| D．Writing down the experiences about his adventure. |
There are two basic ways to see growth: one as a product, the other as a process. People have generally viewed personal growth as an external （外在的） result or a product that can easily be identified and measured. The worker who gets a rise, he student whose grades improve, the foreigner who learns a new language—all these examples of people who have measurable results to show for their efforts.
By contrast, the process of personal growth is much more difficult to determine, since it is a journey and not the specific signposts or land mar along the way. The process is not the road itself, but the attitudes, feelings people have, and their caution or courage, as they meet with new experiences and unexpected difficulties. In this process, the journey never really ends；there are always new ways to experience the world, new ideas to try, new challenges to accept.
In order to grow, to travel new roads, people need to have a willingness to take rise, to face the unknown ,and to accept the possibility that they may “fail” at first. How we see ourselves as we try a new way of being is necessary for our ability to grow. Do we see ourselves as quick and curious? If so, we tend to take more chances and be more open to unfamiliar experiences. Do we think we’re shy and indecisive? Then our sense of fear can cause us to hesitate, to move slowly, and we think we are slow to adapt change or that we’re not smart enough to deal with a new challenge. Then we are likely to take a more passive role or not try at all.
These feelings of insecurity and self doubt are both unavoidable and necessary if we are to change and grow. If we protect ourselves too much, then we stop growing. We become trapped inside a shell of our own making.In the author’s eye, one who views personal growth as a process would ______.
| A．succeed in climbing up the social ladder | B．grow up from his own achievements |
| C．face difficulties and take up challenges | D．aim high and reach his goal each time |
Which of the following can be viewed as the process of personal growing?
| A．Our manager was always willing to accept new challenges. |
| B．Jane won the first prize in the speech competition. |
| C．Jerry picked up French during his stay in Paris. |
| D．Father’s salary rose from 5000 to 7000. |
For personal growth, the author is in favor of all the following EXCEPT ______.
| A．being curious about more changes | B．having an open mind to new experiences |
| C．being quick in self-adaptation | D．staying away from failures and challenges |
The best title for this passage should be ______.
| A．Facing New Challenges | B．Growth—Product or Process |
| C．Two Basic Ways of Growth | D．Overcoming Internal Fears |
My grandfather came from Hungary and was the only one in his family who settled down in the United States. The rest of his family remained in Europe. When World War I broke out , he seemed to have become another man, downhearted. Such obvious change was not born out of his welfare, but out of fear if his only son, my uncle, had to go to war, it would be cousin fighting against cousin.
One day in 1918, my Uncle Milton received his draft notice. My grandparents were very upset. But my mother, at the age of 10, felt on top of the world about her soldier brother going off to war. Realizing how he was regarded by his little sister and all of her friends, my uncle bought them all service pins, which meant that they had a loved one in the service. All the little girls were delighted.
The moment came when my uncle and the other soldiers, without any training but all in uniforms, boarded the train. The band played and the crowd cheered. Although no one noticed, I’m sure my grandmother had a tear in her eye for the only son. The train slowly pulled out, but not about a thousand yards when it suddenly paused. Everyone stared in wonder as the train slowly returned to the station. There was a dead silence before the doors opened and the men started to step out. Someone shouted, “The war is over.” For a moment, nobody moved, but then the people heard someone bark orders at the soldiers. The men lined up in two lines, walked down the steps, and with the band playing, marched down the street, as returning heroes, to be welcomed home. My mother said it was a great day, but she was just a little disappointed that it didn’t last a tiny bit longer.What the grandfather was most worried about was .
| A．the spread of the world war | B．the safety of his living two cousins |
| C．a drop in his living standards | D．his relatives killing each other |
The underlined phrase “draft notice” means “”.
| A．order for army service | B．train ticket for Europe |
| C．letter of rejection | D．note of warring |
What did the “service pins”(in Para.2)stand for in the eyes of the little girls?
| A．Strength. | B．Courage. | C．Victory. | D．Honor. |
Which of the following words can best describe the ending of the story?
| A．Disappointing. | B．Unexpected. | C．Uncertain. | D．Inspiring. |
Driving Offence Points System
What is Driving Offence Points System?
After the introduction of this system, certain traffic offences will earn the driver points besides other punishment. If a driver makes any of these offences, the points will be recorded. When the driver gets a certain number of points, he will be forbidden to drive for a certain amount of time.
What are the purposes of this system?
This is a system designed to make road much safer. It can improve standards of driving and reduce the accident rates.
Which traffic offences will result in Driving Offence points?
Of course, not all traffic offences are covered by this system. Only those that have direct effect on road safety are included. There are altogether fourteen items.
| Code |
Offence |
Points |
| 1 |
Causing death by dangerous driving |
10 |
| 2 |
Dangerous driving |
10 |
| 3 |
Careless driving |
5 |
| 4 |
Driving after drinking or taking drugs |
10 |
| 5 |
Driving over speed limit by more than 15 km/hour |
3 |
| 6 |
Driving in a motor race on the road |
10 |
| 7 |
Failing to stop after an accident |
3 |
| 8 |
Failing to give information after an accident |
3 |
| 9 |
Failing to report an accident |
3 |
| 10 |
Failing to obey directions of police officers |
3 |
| 11 |
Crossing double white lines |
3 |
| 12 |
Failing to obey traffic signals |
3 |
| 13 |
Failing to give way to walkers at a crosswalk Failing to stop for people walking |
3 |
| 14 |
Failing to stop at school crossing |
3 |
What will happen if you have got up to 10 points?
If you have got 10 points or above, but still less 15 points, you will receive a warning letter from the Transport Department. This letter will tell your record of Driving Offence Points and remind you of the result of getting more points. It is hoped that this warning will change your driving behavior for the better.
What will happen if you have got 15 points?
If you have got 15 points or more within two years, a court will take away your driving license. The first time you are found guilty you will not be able to drive for three months, but if you are caught a second time you will not be able to drive for six months. The underlined word “Offence”（paragraph 1）refers to ________.
| A．a driving habit | B．an official of road safety |
| C．bad behavior in the office | D．an action against the traffic law |
The Driving Offence Points __________.
| A．is a system that helps to improve the driving standards |
| B．are points earned because of dangerous driving |
| C．shows traffic offences of different kinds |
| D．is a guide dealing with traffic offences |
What will happen to you if you have got 13 points?
| A．You will be punished for the points. |
| B．Your driving license will be taken away. |
| C．Your record will be sent to the Transport Department. |
| D．You will get a warning letter from the Transport Department. |
What will happen to you if you are caught driving dangerously and two months later you are caught driving after drinking?
| A．Your license will be taken away. |
| B．You will be taken to the police station. |
| C．You will not be able to drive for 3 months. |
| D．You will not be able to drive for 6 months. |