I had the meanest mother in the world. While other kids ate candy for breakfast，I had to have cereal，eggs and toast. Others had cokes and candy for lunch，while we had to eat a sandwich. As you can guess，my supper was different than the other kids’. But at least I was not alone in my suffering. My sister and two brothers had the same mean mother as I did.
My mother insisted on knowing where we were at all times. She had to know who our friends were and what we were doing. We had to wear clean clothes every day. Other kids always wore their clothes for days. We reached the height of disgrace because she made our clothes herself，just to save money.
The worst is yet to come. We had to be in bed by 9：00 each night and up at 7：45 the next morning. So while my friends slept，my mother actually had the courage to break Child Labor Law. She made us work. I believed she lay awake all night thinking up mean things to do to us. Through the years，our friends’ report cards had beautiful colors on them, black for passing，red for failing. My mother, however，would merely be content with black marks. None of us was allowed the pleasure of being a dropout.
She forced us to grow up into educated and honest adults. Using this as a background，I’m now trying to bring up my three children. I’m filled with pride when my children think I am mean because now I thank God every day for giving me the meanest mother in the world.From the passage we can learn that the writer’s mother was __________.
| A．not generous at all | B．very strict with her children |
| C．very mean with money matters | D．very cruel to her children |
Which of the following things did the writer hate to do most?
| A．Eating differently from other kids. |
| B．Wearing clean clothes made by mother. |
| C．Going to bed early and getting up early. |
| D．Letting mother know where they were. |
It can be inferred from the passage that____________.
A the writer worked hard and usually got good grades in studies
B. mother was punished for breaking the Labor Law
C. all the other kids studied better than the writer
D. the writer’s family lived a miserable life
Has Tiger Mom gone soft? One year after the release of her book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, Amy Chua is back in the spotlight, reflecting on how overnight infamy (恶名) affected her life, her family and her parenting.
“I have changed a lot,” she told the Huffington Post. “In October, we had 30 kids at our house! We have hosted parties with lots of food and music.”
Last January, the Wall Street Journal published an excerpt (节选) from Chua’s book with the headline “Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior”. In the excerpt, Chua described how her daughters were never allowed to have sleepovers (在外过夜的儿童聚会), appear in school plays, or earn any grade lower than an A. Chua, an author and professor at Yale Law School, spent much of 2011 on the defensive. In fact, many of her interviews seemed to lend fuel to her critics’ fire.
Now, with the book out in paperback, she said, “I put passages in the book and used very harsh words that I regret. Everybody has those moments you wish you could take back.”
For those who still read Battle Hymn as an advice guide, Chua argues that so-called tiger parenting should be employed mainly during a child’s early years, ideally between the ages of 5 and 12. These “super-strict parenting tactics” are not meant for all ages. Remaining strict after middle school makes you a helicopter parent, according to Chua. And she is quick to point out how different that is from being a tiger mom.
“By the time kids get to high school, helicopter parents are hiring all these tutors, carrying their kids’ sports bags. I never checked older daughter Sophia’s papers because I knew she knew how to sit down and focus,” Chua said.
As for younger daughter Lulu, 15, the rebel for whom the book was written, Chua has really backed off. Instead of forcing Lulu to practise violin for hours a day—the source of their biggest fights, Chua “let her give that up”. “My compromise (妥协) is that I’m going to still be as strict academically, but in exchange she has a lot of social freedom. Lulu has had four sleepovers in the last two months!” Chua said. Chua predicts she’ll only get more easygoing with age. What does the passage mainly tell us?
| A．Tiger Mom has changed and wants to be soft. |
| B．Tiger Mom persuaded readers to follow her example. |
| C．How Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother came out. |
| D．How Tiger Mom became the worldwide spotlight. |
From paragraph 1 we can know that after the publication of the book______________.
| A．Tiger Mom became stricter with her children |
| B．Tiger Mom was thought highly by the public |
| C．Tiger Mom’s life and family were influenced |
| D．Tiger Mom became wealthy and easygoing |
Lulu quarreled with her mother mainly over______________.
| A．whether she could do well at school |
| B．when she could have sleepovers |
| C．what should be written in the book |
| D．how long she practiced the violin |
My mother is a diligent and kind woman. She is very busy from morning till night. As a teacher, she works hard. 1Both my brother and I love her dearly as she loves us.
My mother has been teaching math at a middle school in my hometown. She goes to work early in the morning and does not return home until late in the afternoon. 2She treats them with patience and teaches them well. For her excellent quality and very good teaching results, she has been elected as a model teacher several times.
3Every day, when she comes back home from work, she sets about doing housework, sweeping the living room and bedrooms or cleaning the furniture, and putting everything in good order. She seems to be busy all the time. As she has been very busy working every day, she looks older than her age. But she looks as cheerful and happy as ever. Mother never buys expensive dresses for herself, but she often buys some inexpensive but high quality clothes for us. 4She just eats a plain meal outside when she is too busy to cook herself. She lives a busy yet simple life, without any complaints.
Often she says to us, “work while you work, and play while you play. That is the way to be happy and gay. If you do not work, you will become lazy and be of no use to society”. What a piece of good advice this is! 5This advice of hers will always serve as a guide to my behavior. My mother is great indeed, and I always feel proud of her.
| A．She enjoys listening to classic music. |
| B．As a mother, she takes good care of us and gives us every comfort. |
| C．She loves her students and cares for them. |
| D．She never goes to expensive restaurants to enjoy meals. |
E. My mother is hard-working and never wastes money.
F. I never forget it and always bear it in my mind.
G. Can you tell us something about your mother?
The invention of the electric telegraph gave birth to the communications industry.Although Samuel B．Morse succeeded in making the invention useful in 1837，it was not until 1843 that the first important telegraph line was constructed.By 1860 more than 50,000 miles of lines connected people east of the Rockies.The following year，San Francisco was added to the network.
The national telegraph network strengthened the ties between East and West and contributed to the rapid expansion of the railroads by providing an efficient means to monitor schedules and routes.Furthermore，the extension of the telegraph，combined with the invention of the steam－driven rotary printing press by Richard
M．Hoe in 1846，revolutionized the world of journalism.Where the business of news gathering had been dependent upon the mail and on hand－operated presses，the telegraph expanded the amount of information a newspaper could supply and allowed for more timely reporting.The creating of the Associated Press as a central wire service in 1846 marked the arrival of a new era (纪元) in journalism.The main topic of the passage is ________.
| A．the history of journalism |
| B．the origin of the national telegraph |
| C．how the telegraph network contributed to the expansion of railroads |
| D．the contributions and development of the telegraph network |
This passage would most likely be found in a________.
| A．U.S. history book | B．book on trains |
| C．science textbook | D．computer magazine |
It can be inferred from the passage that ________.
| A．Samuel Morse did not make a significant contribution to the communications industry |
| B．Morse’s invention did not immediately achieve its full potential (潜力) |
| C．the extension of the telegraph was more important than its invention |
| D．journalists have the Associated Press to thank for the birth of the communications industry |
Leadership is the art of getting someone to do something you want done because he wants to do it. People naturally want to follow a good leader. After meeting with an effective leader it is not unusual to feel uplifted(情绪高涨), inspired, and motivated to work towards a common goal.
An effective leader makes others feel good about themselves, as well as the work they are doing. The leader has a vision(幻想)of what he or she wants to achieve, and can communicate that vision to others in a way that makes people want to be part of it. One thing a good leader typically does is to communicate the big picture, so that each employee can see how the particular role he or she plays makes a contribution to the final result.
Good leaders are positive and optimistic when they speak about the future. Their enthusiasm wins them plenty of supporters who help make their vision a reality.
Good leaders also understand that different people are motivated by different things. For employees motivated by a need for achievement, a leader explains how the task offers an opportunity to take on a challenge with an achievable goal. And employees are motivated by hearing how they will be part of a team of people working together.
Good leaders will introduce employees by name first, rather than job titles. They refer to employees as team members, companions, or colleagues, never as “servants”. Words have power, including the power to make people feel whether or not they are important to the success of an organization.
Good leaders believe that every team member matters and set up environments that make everyone feel important. It is no wonder they can attract the support they need to help them achieve their goals.What’s the author’s purpose of writing this passage?
| A．To tell us how to be a good leader at work. |
| B．To describe the proper relationship between leaders and employees. |
| C．To inform us of how leaders and employees should communicate. |
| D．To show the optimism of a leader. |
What is the most important to be a good leader?
| A．A good leader learns art very well. |
| B．A good leader can promote employees. |
| C．A good leader can satisfy all his or her employees. |
| D．A good leader can make employees happy and willing in their work. |
What should a good leader do for an employee who wants to succeed at work?
| A．To promote the employee to a leadership role. |
| B．To draw a beautiful picture of the employee’s future. |
| C．To encourage the employee to meet the challenges of his work. |
| D．To let the staff know the important role the employee plays. |
We can infer from the passage that_________.
| A．a good leader is always good at creating comfortable working conditions |
| B．the support of employees is necessary for a leader to reach his goal |
| C．names are much easier to remember than job titles |
| D．the motivation of the employees all comes from the leader |
Busy senior managers need no longer waste time in showering themselves－an Australian company has invented a suit that can be worn while they wash.
The suit has been specially designed so that it can be cleaned under the showerhead. There is no need for soaking (浸泡)，dry cleaning－or even soap.
The Japanese market has taken a liking to the “shower suit”，described as “revolutionary” by its owner Australian Wool Innovation (AWI)，which is the research and marketing body that represents Australian wool－growers. Orders have been placed for 170,000 of the woolen suits.
The suit could be worn in the shower，although it was probably better to hang it on a clothes hanger and carry it instead，AWI corporate affairs spokesman Stephen Feighan said.“The idea is that you hang it up and then...you give it a spray (喷雾)，and it’s dry the next morning，” Mr Feighan said.
A Japanese researcher working for AWI invented the suit by combining three technologies. The secret is the best lining (内衬)，which allows the suit to dry quickly.The shower suit attracted busy corporate people，particularly those who often traveled or stayed up late，Mr Feighan said.The airline industry was also interested.
Mr Feighan confessed he had not worn one of the suits yet，or tried to wash it in the shower，because they cut to fit Japanese figures.AWI believes that the shower suit will spread from the Japanese market through Europe and India. Mr Feighan hoped the suit，made from local wool，would be available in Australia in 12 to 18 months’ time.What is the writing purpose of the article?
| A．To introduce a newly－designed shower suit. |
| B．To help the white collars arrange their life more sensibly. |
| C．To provide suggestions on saving time in bath. |
| D．To praise AWI for its important achievement. |
Which is true about the suit according to the passage?
| A．It can spare the owner’s trouble of soaking，dry cleaning and applying soap. |
| B．It is of the quality of fast dry for its best cloth. |
| C．It is not suitable for hanging. |
| D．It has attracted more orders than any other suit. |
The suit draws the attention from all the following groups EXCEPT________.
| A．corporate people who are always on the go |
| B．people on occasional business trips |
| C．the airline industry |
| D．people burning the midnight oil |
Which of the following has much to do with Mr Feighan?
| A．The invention of the suit. |
| B．The try－on of the suit. |
| C．The combination of the three technologies on the suit. |
| D．The popularization of the suit and best wishes for it. |