While income worry is a rather common problem of the aged, loneliness is another problem that aged parents may face. Of all the reasons that explain their loneliness, a large geographical distance between parents and their children is the major one. This phenomenon(现象) is commonly known as "Empty Nest Syndrome”（空巢综合症）．
In order to find better chances outside their countries, many young people have gone abroad, leaving their parents behind with no clear idea of when they will return home. Their parents spend countless lonely days and nights, taking care of themselves, in the hope that someday their children will come back to stay with them. The fact that most of these young people have gone to Europeanized or Americanized societies makes it unlikely that they will hold as tightly to the value of duty as they would have if they had not left their countries. Whatever the case, it has been noted that the values they hold do not necessarily match what they actually do. This geographical and cultural distance also prevents the grown-up children from providing response in time for their aged parents living by themselves.
The situation in which grown-up children live far away from their aged parents has been described as "distant parent phenomenon", which is common both in developed countries and in developing countries. Our society has not yet been well prepared for "Empty Nest Syndrome".According to the passage, the loneliness of aged parents is mainly caused by ________.
| A．their earlier experience of living alone |
| B．the poor living conditions in their native countries |
| C．the common worry that they have not saved much money |
| D．the distance between where parents live and where their children live |
Many young people have gone abroad, leaving their aged parents behind, to ______.
| A．realize their dreams in foreign countries |
| B．seek a better place for their aged parents |
| C．live in the countries with more money |
| D．continue their studies abroad |
If young people go abroad, __________.
| A．they do not hold to the value of duty at all |
| B．they can give some help to their parents back home |
| C．they cannot do what they should for their parents |
| D．they believe what they actually do is right |
From the last paragraph, we can infer that __________.
| A．the situations in the developed and developing countries are different |
| B．"Empty Nest Syndrome" has arrived unexpectedly in our society |
| C．children will become independent as soon as they go abroad |
| D．the aged parents are not fully prepared for "Empty Nest Syndrome" |
The society discussed in the passage is most probably __________.
| A．France | B．America | C．China | D．Britain |
Although credit cards are becoming a more acceptable part of the financial scene, they are still regarded with doubts by many as being a major part of the “live now pay later” syndrome（综合症）．Along with hire-purchase, rental and leasing schemes（租赁项目）, they provide encouragement to spend more money．Of course, it is only the hotheaded who give way to the temptation to live, temporarily at least, beyond their means, and such people would no doubt manage to do so even without credit cards．
Advertising campaigns have, however, promoted a growing realization of the advantages of these small pieces of plastic. They prevent need to carry large amounts of cash and are always useful in emergencies．
All the credit card organizations charge interest on a monthly basis which may work out as high as 25 per cent a year, yet sensible purchasing using a card can mean that you obtain up to seven weeks, interest-free credit．Using the card abroad, where items frequently take a long time to be included on your account, can extend this period even further．
It is worthwhile shopping around before deciding on a particular credit card. It is necessary to consider the amount of credit granted; interest rates, which may vary slightly; the number and range of outlets（经销店）, though most cards cover major garages, hotels, restaurants and department stores; and of course, what happens if your card is lost or stolen．A credit card thief may be sitting on a potential goldmine particularly if there is a delay in reporting the loss of the card．
However, if used wisely, a credit card can cost nothing, or at least help to tide you over a period of financial difficulty．The hotheaded are people who ________．
| A．spend more money than they have |
| B．spend less money than other people |
| C．save money |
| D．make money |
The disadvantage of credit cards is ________．
| A．to enable you to buy things without carrying large amount of cash |
| B．to encourage people to spend more money |
| C．to be always useful in emergencies |
| D．to help people tide over a period of financial difficulty |
Deciding on a particular credit, you do not have to consider ________．
| A．the amount of credit granted |
| B．the number and range of outlets |
| C．the possibility of loss of money |
| D．the department stores where you are going to use your credit cards |
The underlined words in the last paragraph probably means ________．
| A．floating with the tide of | B．going through a difficult period of |
| C．rising and falling with the tide of | D．attempting to go against the tide of |
Spring is the time to go out and enjoy the weather and scenery．Here are some events to attend in March of 2012 in Oregon!
Oregon Country Fair（OCF）, 9 am to 7 pm on March 8 - 10
OCF first started in 1969, and it’s blossomed into an outstanding example of what a non - profit should be. OCF is an event of shopping & atmosphere, and food ranging from Indian & Afghani cuisine to Italian & France cuisine．Wonderful craft & music never stop．From the time you get there until the time you leave, everyone has a smile on their faces, and they wave and say hello．For tickets, go and visit www．Oregoncountryfair．org．
30th Annual Seaside Beach Volleyball Tournament, 8 am to 6 pm on March 12 - 14
The Annual Seaside Beach Volleyball Tournament is an amateur tournament that draws amateur volleyball players to the small town of seaside, as well as AVP Team players who are the best volleyball players．In the past years, it has drawn more than 700 teams playing on over 80 volleyball courts．Just go west, and you can’t miss it．It is about 20 miles south of Astoria．To learn more about it, visit the website www．Seasideor．com．
Hood to Coast Relay, 3:30 am to 6:45 pm on March 26 - 27
The Hood to Coast Relay is a 200 - mile - long relay that consists of 15, 000 runners and 4, 100 volunteers．It’s the largest relay in the world, which goes from Mt．Hood to Pacific Ocean in Seaside, Oregon．People of the Oregon coast fear Hood to Coast, because local towns and streets are flooded．There are audiences cheering riders on, and many people set up stations to give riders water．If you would like to get the race route maps, visit the website www. Hoodtocoast. com．
Other event information
To learn about other events, visit the website www. Aadfv. Blogspot. com．OCF covers the following EXCEPT ________．
| A．music | B．dishes | C．dance | D．artworks |
When was the first Seaside Beach Volleyball Tournament held in Oregon?
| A．In 1982． | B．In 1986． | C．In 1988． | D．In 1992． |
If Lisa wants to learn more about an outing in Oregon, she may visit _______．
| A．www．Seasideor．com． |
| B．www．Hoodtocoast．com． |
| C．www．aadfv．blogspot．com． |
| D．www．Oregoncountryfair．org． |
Locals of the Oregon coast are afraid of the relay because ________．
| A．the relay will last a long period | B．they have to offer food and water |
| C．the weather is bad during the relay | D．too many people will go there |
What should you think about when trying to find your career? You are probably better at some school subjects than others. These may show strengths that you can use in your work. A boy who is good at mathematics can use that in an engineering career. A girl who spells well and likes English may be good at office work. So it is important to know the subjects you do well in at school. On the other hand, you may not have any specially strong subjects but your records show a general satisfactory standard. Although not all subjects can be used directly in a job, they may have indirect value. A knowledge of history is not required for most jobs but if history is one of your good subjects you will have learned to remember facts and details. This is an ability that can be useful in many jobs.
Your school may have taught you skills, such as typing or technical drawing, which you can use in your work. You may be good at metalwork or cookery and look for a job where you can improve these skills. If you have had a part-time job on Saturdays or in the summer, think what you gained from it. If nothing else, you may have learned how to get to work on time, to follow instructions and to get on with older workers. You may have learned to give correct change in a shop, for example. Just as important, you may become interested in a particular industry or career you see from the inside in a part-time job.
Facing your weak points is also part of knowing yourself. You may be all thumbs when you handle tools; perhaps you are a poor speller or cannot add up a column of figures. It is better to face any weakness than to pretend they do not exist. Your school record, for instance, may not be too good, yet it is an important part of your background. You should not be apologetic(认错的) about it but instead recognize that you will have a chance of a fresh start at work.What is the passage mainly about?
| A．The importance of working hard at school. |
| B．Choosing a career according to one’s strengths. |
| C．How to face one’s weakness. |
| D．The value of school work. |
The writer thinks that a student to have a part-time job is probably ___.
| A．a good way to find out his weak points |
| B．one of the best ways of earning extra money |
| C．of great use for his work in the future |
| D．a waste of time he could have spent on study |
From the passage we learn that if a student’s school performance is not good, he ___________.
| A．should pay more attention to learning skills and developing abilities |
| B．will be regretful about his bad results |
| C．may also do well in his future work |
| D．should restart his study in school |
From the last paragraph we know one should _________.
| A．make full use of one’s own weak points |
| B．study harder for a new school record |
| C．apologize for one’s own school record |
| D．face one’s own weak points bravely |
BEIJING--Alarmed by the overreaching ambitions of many Chinese provinces to grow at all costs, China’s top economic chief is calling on officials to calm down and spare a thought for the environment．
Zhang Ping, who heads China’s National Development and Reform Commission, the central economic planning agency, said only five or six of China’s 30 provinces are targeting annual economic growth of 8 percent or 9 percent．
The remaining provinces are aiming for growth rates of more than 10 percent this year, with some wanting to double economic output in the coming five years．
“China has a planned energy supply of about 4 billion cubic tons of coal equivalent（等量的）for the next five years, and this is not enough to meet demands for economic growth to double,” he was quoted as saying on the news portal Sina．Com．
Beijing is increasingly concerned with the ambitions of Chinese provinces across the country to chase high growth despite the central government’s urgent request for a more moderate and sustainable（可持续的）pace of expansion．
Years of rapid economic growth has taken a toll on China’s environment, with Beijing trying to remove some of the damage now．It has an annual growth target of 7 percent for the next five years, well down from last year’s 10 percent．
Zhang said Beijing has asked local governments to take into account the supply of “energy, environment, water and land” to set more reasonable growth targets．Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Many Chinese provinces are alarmed by Beijing． |
| B．Zhang Ping is an expert and economic chief from www. Sina.Com． |
| C．The supply of the coal in China is not sufficient(足够的) for the next five years． |
| D．Few Chinese provinces are aiming for economic growth rates of less than 10%． |
The underlined phrase “taken a toll on” in the sixth paragraph means “_________”．
| A．looked forward to | B．paid attention to |
| C．caused damage to | D．attached importance to |
The general idea of the whole passage can be that ________．
| A．China’s economy is developing |
| B．China’s top chief places more emphasis on the environment |
| C．all Chinese provinces should slow down their economic growth rates |
| D．economic high growth should go hand in hand with environmental protection |
What could be the best title for the news?
| A．Economic Development | B．Energy Supply |
| C．Sustainable Development | D．Environment protection |
It was 1961 and I was in the fifth grade. My marks in school were miserable and, the thing was, I didn’t know enough to really care. My older bother and I lived with Mom in an ugly multi-family house in Detroit. We watched TV every night. The background noise of our lives was gunfire and horses’ hoofs(马蹄) from “Wagon Train” or “Cheyenne”, and laughter from “I Love Lucy”, or “Mister Ed”. After supper, we’d lie on Mom’s bed and stare for hours at the TV screen.
But one day Mom changed our world forever. She turned off the TV. Our mother had only been able to get through third grade. But, she was much brighter and smarter than we boys know at the time. She had noticed something in the suburban houses where she cleaned books. So she came home one day, switched off the TV, sat us down and explained that her sons were going to make something of themselves. “You boys are going to read two books every week,” she said. “And you’re going to write a report on what you read.”
We moaned（不满,发牢骚） and complained about how unfair it was. Besides, we didn’t have any books in the house other than Mom’s Bible. But she explained that we would go where the books were: “I’ll drive you to the library.”
So pretty soon there were these two peevish（坏脾气的）boys sitting in her white 1959 Oldsmobile on their way to Detroit Public Library. I wandered reluctantly（不情愿） among the children’s books. I loved animals, so when I saw some books that seemed to be about animals, I started leafing through them.
The first book I read clear through was Chip the Dam Builder. It was about beavers（河狸）. For the first time in my life I was lost in another world. No television program had ever taken me so far away from my surroundings as did this virtue visit to a cold stream in a forest and these animals building a home.
It didn’t dawn on me at the time, but the experience was quite different from watching TV. There were images forming in my mind instead of before my eyes. And I could return to them again and again with the flip（快速翻动）of a page.
Soon I began to look forward to visiting this quiet sanctuary form my other world. I moved from animals to plants, and then to rocks. Between the covers of all those books were whole worlds, and I was free to go anywhere in them. Along the way a funny thing happened: I started to know things. Teachers started to notice it too. I got to the point where I couldn’t wait to get home to my books.
Now my older brother is an engineer and I am chief of pediatric neurosurgery(儿童神经外科)at John Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore. Sometimes I still can’t believe my life’s journey, from a failing and indifferent student in a Detroit public school to this position, which takes me all over the world to teach and perform critical surgery.
But I know when the journey began the day Mom switched off the TV set and put us in her Oldsmobile for that drive to the library.We can learn from the beginning of the passage that ___________.
| A．the author and his brother had done well in school |
| B．the author had been very concerned about his school work |
| C．the author had spent much time watching TV after school |
| D．the author had realized how important schooling was |
Which of the following is not true about the author’s family?
| A．He came from a middle-class family. |
| B．He came from a single-parent family. |
| C．His mother worked as a cleaner. |
| D．His mother had received little education. |
How did the two boys feel about going to the library at first?
| A．They were afraid | B．They were reluctant. |
| C．They were impatient. | D．They were eager to go. |
The author began to love books for the following reasons EXCEPT that ___________.
| A．he began to see something in his mind |
| B．he could visualize what he read in his mind |
| C．he could go back to read the books again |
| D．he realized that books offered him new experience |