Growing up, I wanted to be just like my mom. She was kind. People always seemed to feel comfortable in her presence. For years, she was a volunteer in our community. I loved going to the local nursing home with her where she taught a ceramic class.
On one summer day, Mama told me to get changed and meet her at the car.
I had planned to spend the day at the lake with friends. Why did she have to ruin everything? I imagined the cool lake water. Irritated, I climbed into the car and slammed the door shut. We sat in silence. I was too upset to make conversation.
“Tasha, would you like to know where we are going?” Mama asked calmly.
“No,” I said.
“We are going to volunteer at a children’s shelter today. I have been there before and I think it would benefit you,” she explained.
When we reached the shelter, Mama rang the doorbell. Moments later, we were greeted by a woman. She led us to the front room where all of the children were playing. I noticed a baby whose body was scarred with iron marks. I was told it was because she wouldn’t stop crying. The majority of the children had noticeable physical scars. Others hid their emotional wounds.
As I took in my surroundings, I felt a gentle tug on my shirt. I looked down to see a little girl looking up at me. “Hi. You want to play dolls with me?” she asked. I looked over at Mama for reinforcement. She smiled and nodded. I turned back and said, “Sure.” Her tiny hand reached up and held mine, as if to comfort me.
My mom taught me a valuable lesson that summer. I returned to the shelter with her several times. During those visits, some of the children shared their troubled pasts with me and I learned to be grateful for what I had. Today as I strive to instill (逐渐灌输) these values in my own child, I reflect back to that experience. It was a time that I will never forget. The author admired her mom for ________.
A.her kindness to others | B.her excellent teaching |
C.her quality of honesty | D.her positive attitude to life |
According to Paragraph 3, when she was asked to go out with her mom, the author was ________.
A.excited | B.angry | C.surprised | D.worried |
From the passage we learn most children in the shelter ________.
A.were often punished by staff | B.weren’t allowed to go outside |
C.were once treated badly | D.all suffered from mental illness |
The underlined word “reinforcement” in the passage is closest in meaning to “________”.
A.truth | B.help | C.comfort | D.support |
What lesson did the author learn from her experience?
A.To value what you take for granted. | B.To play with children is fun. |
C.To love others is to love yourself. | D.To do as what your parents do. |
The world itself is becoming much smaller by using modern traffic and modern communication means (通讯设备).Life today is much easier than it was hundreds of years ago, but it has brought new problems. One of the biggest is pollution. To pollute means to make things dirty. Pollution comes in many ways. We see it, smell it, drink it and even hear it.
Man has been polluting the earth. The more people, the more pollution. Many years ago, the problem was not so serious because there were not so many people. When the land was used up or the river was dirty in one place, Man moved to another place. But this is no longer true. Man is now slowly polluting the whole world.
Air pollution is still the most serious. It’s bad for all living things in the world, but it is not the only one kind of pollution. Water pollution kills our fish and pollutes our drinking water. Noise pollution makes us angry more easily.
Many countries are making rules to fight pollution. They stop people from burning coal in houses and factories in the city, and from putting dirty smoke into the air.
Pollution by carbon dioxide is now the most dangerous kind of air pollution. It is caused by heavy traffic. It is true that if there are fewer people driving, there will be less air pollution.
The earth is our home. We must take care of it. That means keeping the land, water and air clean. And we must take care of the rise in population at the same time.
Hundreds of years ago, the pollution was _________it is today.
A.much easier than | B.as easy as | C.as hard as | D.much less than |
Our world is becoming much smaller_________.
A.because the earth is being polluted day and night |
B.because science is developing |
C.because of the rise in population |
D.because the earth is blown away by the wind every year |
Air pollution is the most serious kind of pollution because_________.
A.it does harm to all living things in the world | B.it makes much noise |
C.it makes our rivers and lakes dirty | D.it makes us angry more easily |
Which of the following is NOT the possible way to reduce air pollution?
A.Stop people from burning coal in the houses and factories in the city |
B.Stop putting dirty smoke into the air |
C.Encourage people to go to work by bike or on foot instead of driving a car |
D.Don’t throw rubbish into the river. |
Which of the following is NOT true?
A.The problem of pollution is not so serious because there are not so many people living on the earth. |
B.The pollution of the earth grows as fast as the world’s population does. |
C.If people could go to work by bike ,it would be helpful against the problem of carbon dioxide. |
D.Many countries are making rules to fight against pollution. |
One hot night last July, when our new baby wouldn’t or couldn’t sleep, I tried everything I could think of : a warm bottle, songs gentle rocking. Nothing would settle him down. Guessing that I would have a long night ahead of me, I brought a portable (便携式)TV into his room, figuring that watching the late movie was as good a way as any to kill off the hours till dawn. To my surprise, as soon as the TV lit up, the baby quieted right now, his little eyes focused brightly on the tube. Not to waste an opportunity for sleep, I then walked out of the room, leaving him to watch the actors celebrate John Bellushi's forty-fifth birthday.
My wife and I heard no more of the baby that night, and the next morning when I went into his room, I found him still watching TV himself. I found in my baby's a metaphor(启示)for the new generation. My wife and I had given him some books to examine, but he merely spit upon them. When we read to him, he did not feel comfortable. And so it is in the schools. We find that our students don't read , that they look down upon reading and scold those of us who teach it. All they want to do is watching TV.
After this experience with the baby, however, I have reached a conclusion: “Let them watch it!” If television is that much more attractive to children than books, why should we fight it? Let them watch it all they want!
Father brought a TV set into his son's room____.
A.to stop his son crying | B.to let him learn something |
C.to make him frightened | D.to let his son spend a good night |
To the couple’s surprise the boy ___after they brought a TV set into his room.
A.soon fell asleep | B.cried all that night |
C.became quiet and silent | D.slept quite well that night |
Form the last paragraph we know that the writer thinks it____.
A.terrible for children to watch so many TV programmes |
B.useless for parents to blame their children |
C.necessary for TV stations to improve their TV programmes |
D.favorable for children to watch the programmes they like |
There are many commonly held beliefs about eyeglasses and eyesight that are not proved facts. For example, some people believe that wearing glasses too soon weaken the eyes. But there is nothing to show that the structure (结构) of eyes is changed by wearing galsses at a young age. Wearing the wrong galsses, however, can prove harmful. Studies show that only children can develop loss of sihgt if they have the wrong glasses. We have all heard some of the common myths(荒诞的说法)about how eyesight get bad. Too little light makes the eyes work harder, so they do get tired and strained (过劳). Eyestrain also resulsts from reading a lot, reading in bed, and watching too much television. But, although eyestrain may cause some pain or headaches, it does not harm eyesight all the time. Another myth about eyes is that they can be replaced from one person to another . It is quite difficult to connect aneyeball to a new brain.And it is impossible to replace a whole eyeball to a new person. Only certain parts of the eye can be replaced now. But if we keep clearing up the myths and learning more about the eyes, some day it may be possible to replace a full eyeball.
One cause of eyestrain mentioned in the passage is ____. .
A.wearing eyeglasses too long | B.going to the cinemas |
C.reading a lot | D.not visiting your eye doctor |
.From this passage one can conclude that ____. .
A.doctors are still learning things about eyesight | B.headcaches are usually caused by eyestain |
C.people should wear glasses as soon as possible | D.people only believe things that are proved facts |
"Commonly held beliefs" are ____. .
A.ideas that only low class people believe | B.ideas that moet people believe |
C.beliefs that have something in common | D.foolish beliefs |
This passage mainly tells us that ____.
A.people have many wrong beliefs about eyes and sight. |
B.there are many things about the body that are not completely understood |
C.there are several cuases of eyestrain |
D.eyes are very important to people |
Parents often believe that they have a good relationship with their teenagers (青少年). But last summer, Joanna and Henry noticed a change in their older son. Suddenly he seemed to be talking far more to his friends than to his parents. "The door to his room is always shut," Joanna noted.
Tina and Mark noticed similar changes in their 14-year-old daughter. "She used to cuddle up (蜷伏)with me on the sofa and talk," said Mark. "Now we joke that she does this only when she wants something. Sometimes she wants to be treated like a little girl and sometimes like a young lady. The problem is figuring out which time is which."
Before age 11, children like to tell their parents what's on their minds. "In fact, parents are first on the list," said Michael Riera, author of Uncommon Sense for Parents with Teenagers. "This completely changes during the teen years," Riera explained. "They talk to their friends first, then maybe their teachers, and their parents last."
Parents who know what's going on in their teenagers' lives are in the best position to help them. To break down the wall of silence, parents should create chances to understand what their children want to say, and try to find ways to talk and write to them. And they must give their children a mental break, for children also need freedom, though young. Another thing parents should remember is that to be a friend, not a manager, with their children is a better way to know them..
"The door to his room is always shut" suggests that the son ____.
A.is always busy with his studies | B.doesn't want to be disturbed |
C.keeps himself away from his parents | D.begins to dislike his parents |
What troubles Tina and Mark most is that .
A.their daughter isn't as lovely as before |
B.they can't read their daughter's mind exactly |
C.they don't know what to say to their daughter |
D.their daughter talks with them only when she needs help |
Which of the following best explains "the wall of silence" in the last paragraph?
A.Teenagers talk a lot with their friends. |
B.Teenagers do not want to understand their parents. |
C.Teenagers do not talk much with their parents. |
D.Teenagers talk little about their own lives. |
What can be learned from the passage?
A.Parents are unhappy with their growing children. |
B.Parents have suitable ways to talk with their teenagers. |
C.Parents should be patient with their silent teenagers. |
D.Parents should try to understand their teenagers. |
475 Riverside Drive
New York N.Y. 10027
Jan.15, 2011
Dear John,
I'm sorry you didn't get the part you tried out for in that play. I know how much you wanted to be in the play. Now you feel that maybe acting isn't the right future for you. I think you're wrong. You're a good actor. Do you remember when you played Caesar in your summer theatre group's play? You were excellent . People clapped(鼓掌)every time you walked on stage(舞台). Even the other actors loved you.
All actors have to get used to being turned down for a job. It's part of an actor's life. Even famouse actors don't get every part they want. I think you should give acting another chance. You love it so much, and you're good at it. Don't be discouraged because you lose one part in the play. Wait a bit, and try for another one. After all , you can always give up some other time.
Love,
Jane
Jane wrote this letter because____.
A.she wanted John to get a part in the play he was trying out for |
B.she wanted to tell John that he shouldn't give up acting. |
C.she wanted to tell John how to become an actor. |
D.she was unhappy with John. |
Jane talks about other actors to show Jon that ____.
A.they are as bad as he is | B.acting is a hard life |
C.they sometimes get turned down for parts they want | D.they are lucky enough |
What does Jane think of John?
A.He is a good actor, and some day he will be successful. |
B.He is too easily dicouraged to become a good actor. |
C.He is a better actor than the person who has got the part. |
D.He is as unlucky as the other actors. |
The person who wrote this letter probably ____.
A.is an actress. | B.cares about John |
C.wants to be an actress some day | D.envies at John's success. |