After my husband died, my world crashed around me. My six children were ten, nine, eight, six, three and 18 months, and I was overwhelmed(不知所措的) with the responsibilities of earning a living, caring for the children and simply keeping my head above water.
I was lucky to find a wonderful housekeeper to care for the children during the week, but from Friday nights to Monday mornings, the children and I were alone, and frankly(坦诚地) I was uneasy. Every unusual noise or any late-night phone call filled me with fear. I felt really alone.
One Friday evening I came home from work to find a big beautiful German shepherd(牧羊犬) on our doorstep. It was obvious he wanted to make the house his home. The children took an instant liking to “German” and asked me to let him in. I agreed to let him sleep in the basement(地下室) until the next day. That night I slept peacefully for the first time in many weeks.
The following morning we made phone calls and checked lost-and-found ads for German’s owner, but with no results. Saturday night he was still with us.
On Sunday I had planned to take the children on a picnic. Since I thought it best to leave German behind in case(以免) his owner came by, we drove off without him. When we stopped to get gas at a local station, we were amazed to see German racing to the gas station after us. He stayed again Sunday night.
Monday morning I let him out for a run while the children got ready for school. He didn’t come back. We thought we’d never see him again. On Friday evening, German was back again. We took him in, and again he stayed until Monday morning, when our housekeeper arrived. It went like this for almost 10 months. We looked forward to his coming. Each Monday morning he left home.
Each week, between German's visits, I grew a little braver, but every weekend I enjoyed being with him . Then one Monday morning we patted his head and let him out for what turned out to be the last time. He never came back. We never saw or heard from German again. I think of him often. He came when I needed him the most and stayed until I was strong enough to go on alone. I believe German was sent because he was needed, and because no matter how abandoned(被放弃的) and alone we feel, somehow, somewhere, someone knows and cares. We are never really alone. What does the underlined part “keeping my head above water” in the first paragraph mean?
A.trying to keep calm in public |
B.trying to get attention from other men |
C.showing her high spirit in the face of trouble |
D.trying to continue to live |
When the author’s husband died, ______.
A.she couldn’t raise the six children on her own |
B.she couldn’t relax at weekends |
C.The housekeeper only came at weekends |
D.she was too busy to feel lonely |
Which of the following is WRONG according to the article?
A.German was fond of living with the family. |
B.The writer felt safe and protected with German around. |
C.The dog stayed until the writer was strong enough to go on alone. |
D.The writer was too busy that weekend to go to find the dog’s owner. |
Which is the best title for the passage?
A.A homeless dog | B.A friend’s strength |
C.How to keep a dog | D.Keep up when in trouble |
Mobile phone has become a problem for middle schools. Some middle schools in Australia have banned students from carrying mobile phones during school hours.
Mobile phone use among children has become a problem for the school this year. Several children have got mobile phones as Christmas gifts, and more students will want them.
Mary Bluett, an official, said mobile phone’s use is a distraction to students during school hours and it also gives teachers so much trouble in their classrooms. Teachers were also saying that sometimes students might use phone messages to cheat during exams.
She said some schools had tried to ban mobile phones. Some parents felt unhappy because they couldn’t get in touch with their children.
Many teachers said students should not have mobile phones at school, but if there was a good reason, they could leave their phones at school office. They also said there were many reasons why the students should not have mobile phones at school: they were easy to lose and were a distraction from studies.
Many people say that they understand why parents would want their children to have phones, but they think schools should let the students know when they can use their mobile phones.Some middle schools in Australia have banned students from carrying mobile phones __.
A.because they are students | B.when they are free |
C.when they are at school | D.because they are children |
We know from the passage that some children get mobile phones from ____.
A.the makers and sellers | B.the passer-by and strangers |
C.their parents and friends | D.some mobile phone users |
What does the underlined word cheat mean in the passage?
A.聊天 | B.作弊 | C.查询 | D.核对 |
Some parents felt unhappy because they couldn’t ___ during school hours.
A.use their mobile phones |
B.leave their mobile phones at school office |
C.help the teachers with their work |
D.get in touch with their children |
The passage tells us that ___.
A.students shouldn’t have mobile phones at school except for some special reasons |
B.it is impossible to ban students from using mobile phone at school |
C.some parents felt unhappy because they couldn’t use their phones at school |
D.parents should teach their children how to use mobile phones during school hours |
When I tidied up(整理)some old boxes under my bed, I found an old letter for me from my best friend. Her name was Minnie.
In the letter, Minnie wrote, “I am really sorry about before. Tell me if you will be my best friend again and tell me if you accept(接受)my apology . ”I wrote, “YES. I will be your best friend. ”
The twelve-year-old letter made me remember the time that Minnie and I spent together. We often wrote to each other during that time. One minute, Minnie and I would be playing happily together; the other moment we would get into arguments. But things would always be better again. She gave me a doll(洋娃娃)for my tenth birthday. I still keep it.
Finally things changed. We stopped writing letters to each other after she moved away, and I could no longer ride my bike to her house. Years later, she invited me to her sixteenth birthday party. I don’t see Minnie very often from then on. But I’ll always keep the letter and I’ll never forget the time we spent together.Minnie wrote the letter to .
A.say sorry to the writer | B.thank the writer |
C.invite the writer to her party | D.say goodbye to the writer |
The writer got the letter years ago.
A.10 | B.12 | C.14 | D.16 |
The underlined word “apology” means “” in Chinese.
A.劝告 | B.帮助 | C.道歉 | D.祝福 |
Which of the following is TRUE, according to the passage?
A.The writer never had arguments with Minnie. |
B.Minnie gave the writer a doll on one of her birthdays. |
C.Minnie still writes letters to the writer. |
D.The writer often rides her bike to Minnie’s house. |
The writer wrote the passage to tell us about her with Minnie.
A.old boxes | B.letter | C.birthday party | D.friendship |
A school report
Name:Edward Scott School: Kelvin High School Grade: 8Term ending: May 6 |
Math: He is a little weak in this, but he tried his best to catch up with others. |
Science: He can work out many difficult problems. Well done! (做得好) |
English: He is the best in the class. Keep it up(保持). |
French: His reading is very good, he can remember many words. |
History: He is not so good at this, but has done better than before. |
Geography: He is familiar(熟悉的) with the names of many places in the world. |
Music: He doesn’t like pop songs, though sings very well. |
No. in class: 9 absences: 8 |
Remarks(评语): Edward is able to do a lot better. He needs to do more work next semester. |
Class teacher: Ivy |
Principal: M. L. Martin |
School reopens: September 1 |
根据上面所提供的信息,选择最佳答案。After reading this, we know it is ________________.
A.a studying plan of Edward Scott | B.a teaching plan of Ivy |
C.a report card of Edward Scott | D.a working plan of M. L. Martin |
Which subject is not mentioned(提到) in the report? .
A.PE | B.Music | C.Math | D.History |
Edward’s best subject is _________________.
A.science | B.English | C.geography | D.French |
Edward is not so good at ________________.
A.science and geography | B.math and history |
C.history and French | D.music and English |
Which sentence is not true?
A.Edward can’t sing songs very well. |
B.Edward doesn’t do well in history. |
C.Edward can do better if he works harder next term. |
D.Edward learns two languages at school. |
An old lady went out shopping last Sunday. She came to a bank(银行)and saw a car near the door . A man got out of it(下车) and went into the bank . She looked into the car. The keys were in the lock.
The old lady took the keys and followed the man into the bank. The man took a gun(枪)out of his pockets and said to the clerk(职员), “ Give me all the money . ”
But the old lady didn’t see this. She went to the man and put the keys in his hand and said, “ Young man , you’re foolish . Never leave your keys in your car. Someone’s going to steal(偷)it . ”
The man looked at the old woman for a few seconds. Then he looked at the clerk and then he took the keys and ran off the bank, got into his car and drove away quickly without any money .
根据短文内容,选择正确答案填空。The man got out of the car, and then he went into.
A.the police station | B.the post office |
C.the bank | D.the shop |
The old lady sawin the car.
A.a gun | B.the keys | C.a wallet | D.a handbag |
The old lady took the keys and .
A.went away | B.gave them to the policeman |
C.took them home | D.returned to the young man |
The young man.
A.had nothing to do |
B.deposited(存)his money |
C.ordered a clerk to give him the money |
D.walked about to look for something |
When she gave the young man the keys, he .
A.took them and ran out of the bank without any money |
B.thanked her very much |
C.was very surprised |
D.said nothing and went to the police station |
If you are sitting at a table with people you don’t know, it is impolite to smoke without first asking if it will disturb them.
At American restaurants and coffee shops, cold water is usually served before you order. You may find the bread and the butter are free, and if you order coffee, you may get a free refill.
Most cities and towns have no rules about opening and closing time for stores and restaurants, though they usually do make rules for bars. Especially in big cities, stores may be open 24 hours a day.
Servings in restaurants are often large. If you can’t finish the meal but would like to enjoy the food later, ask the waiter or the waitress for a “doggie bag”(剩菜袋). It may have a picture of a dog on it, but everybody knows you are taking the food for yourself.
Tips are not usually added to the check. You should leave a tip of about 15% on the table when you leave. In some restaurants, a waiter or waitress often bring your check on a plate, and you can put your money there. Then the waiter or the waitress brings you your changes.______ is usually served before you order at American restaurants or coffee shops.
A.Bread | B.Butter | C.Coffee | D.Cold water |
American people always ______ when servings are too large for them.
A.take the food home for their dogs. |
B.leave the food on the table and go away |
C.take the food home in doggie bags for themselves. |
D.ask the waiter or the waitress to keep the food for them. |
If you spend $120 for your meal, you’ll probably leave a tip of _____.
A.$10 | B.$18 | C.$30 | D.$50 |
How can you give tips in America?
A.They are usually added to the check. |
B.They are added to the price of the meal. |
C.A tip is usually 1/5 of the price of the meal. |
D.You can leave them on the table when you leave. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A.It’s bad manners to smoke if the people who sit at the same table mind it. |
B.At American restaurants and coffee shops, bread, butter and coffee are all free. |
C.American people never sit with people they don’t know. |
D.Few cities and towns make rules for bars in American. |