Parents are a child’s first teachers. But some parents never learned from good examples. In New York City, a nonprofit agency called Covenant House tries to help homeless young mothers become good parents.
The twelve or so teenagers who live at the shelter attend parenting classes four days a week. The class is called Mommy and Me. Teacher Delores Clemens is a mother of five and a grandmother. She teaches basic skills, like how to give a baby a bath and how to dress a baby depending on the season.
She remembers one student who learned from her mother not to pick up a crying baby. The mother said that would only make the child needy and overly demanding. Delores Clemens says, “that's not true. You have to hold your baby! He is crying for a reason. If you never pick him up, he's going to keep crying. Pick your baby up. Cuddle your baby. Hug him! And she started to do that. They just want a little cuddling and a little love. And it works!”
Delores Clemens says her students also learn how to be good mothers by letting themselves be mothered. Around three hundred fifty teenage mothers graduate from Covenant House's Mommy and Me class every year.
In class, with her baby son is Natasha. She lived on the streets. She is glad not only for the warmth and shelter of Covenant House. As she told reporter Adam Phillips, she is also glad for the help they offer in seeking a more secure life.
The World Health Organization says the United States has forty-one births for every one thousand girls age fifteen to nineteen. That is higher than other developed countries, as well as some developing ones. By comparison, northern neighbor Canada has fourteen births and southern neighbor Mexico has eighty-two.What is the text mainly about?
| A．Parents who are a child’s first teachers. |
| B．A class where teens learn mothering and are mothered. |
| C．A nonprofit agency that offers a more secure life. |
| D．A kind teacher who help homeless young mothers. |
Covenant Houses’ Mommy and Me class is intended to _____.
| A．help homeless young mothers become good parents |
| B．provide homeless young mothers with a warm shelter |
| C．help mothers in New York be good parents |
| D．teach some parents how to love their children |
What can we know about Delores Clemens from the text?
| A．She has a mother of five and a grandmother. |
| B．She thinks a crying baby should be picked up and hugged. |
| C．She teaches advanced skills on how to be good mothers. |
| D．She is very glad for the warmth and shelter of Covenant House. |
According to the World Health Organization, which country has the highest births for girls age fifteen to nineteen?
| A．Canada | B．the United States of America | C．Mexico | D．Britain |
Who do you think was the most important woman of the past 100 years?
Jane Addams (1860 - 1935)
Addams helped the poor and worked for peace. She created shelters, education opportunities and services for people in need. In 1931, Addams became the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Rachel Carson (1907 - 1964)
Rachel Carson was born in the rural river town of Springdale, Pennsylvania in America. The popular 1962 book “Silent Spring” by Rachel Carson made people realize the dangers and the harmful effects (影响) of pollution on humans and on the world’s lakes and oceans.
Angela Merkel (1954 - )
In 2005, Germans chose Angela Merkel as their first woman head of the country. She had been a scientist in the past. As Germany’s leader, she has had an effect on the whole world.
Sandra Day O’Connor (1930 - )
When Sandra Day O’Connor finished her class at Stanford Law School, in 1952, she could not find work because she was a woman. However, she became the first woman to join the U.S. Supreme Court (最高法院) in 1981 after years of hard work.
Margaret Thatcher (1925 - )
In 1979, Margaret Thatcher became Britain’s first woman Prime Minister (首相). She served until 1990, which made her the first British leader to serve three terms in a row. Because of her high standards and strong will, people called her Britain’s Iron Lady.
Marie Curie (1867-1934)
Polish-born scientist Marie Curie discovered that some types of metal give off energy called radiation (辐射能). Her research led to new medical treatments and arms. She received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903 and in Chemistry in 1911.
| A．Jane Addams and Marie Curie. |
| B．Jane Addams and Margaret Thatcher. |
| C．Marie Curie and Angela Merkel. |
| D．Marie Curie and Rachel Carson. |
| A．help the poor |
| B．spread geographic knowledge |
| C．protect the environment |
| D．protect the rights of women |
| A．Both of them were scientists before coming to power. |
| B．Both of them are the first woman head of their country. |
| C．Both of them are famous for being strict. |
| D．Both of them have worked for three terms. |
| A．Jane Addams. | B．Sandra Day O’Connor. |
| C．Rachel Carson. | D．Margaret Thatcher. |
| A．Great women | B．Famous scientists |
| C．Strong leaders | D．Ways to succeed |
When Steve Jobs was born on Febuary24, 1955, in San Francisco , California, his unmarried mother decided to put him for adoption(收养) because she wanted a girl. So in the middle of the night, his mother called a lawyer named Paul Jobs and said, “We have an unexpected baby boy; do you want him?” But his mother told his future parents to promise that they would send Jobs to college. After Steve Jobs graduated from high school, he went to college but decided to drop out because it was so expensive that he had to sleep on the floor in his friends’ rooms.
At 20, he and a friend(Steve Wozniak) started a company in a garage on April 1, 1976. Jobs named their company ----Apple in memory of a happy summer he had spent as an orchard (果园) in Oregon.
After 10 years of hard time and failures, starting from two kids working in a garage, Apple computer eventually grew into a big company with over 4000 employees.
At 30, Jobs, however, was fired from the company he co-founded. But after he had to leave the company, Apple was under heavy pressure from rival (对手) Microsoft and in 1996 posted billions of dollars in losses. Apple needed Steve Jobs and he was appointed as Apple’ CEO in1997. Under his leadership, Apple returned to profitability（赢利） and introduced new products such as the iPhone and the iPad.
Steve Jobs once said, “Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith. I’m sure that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You’ve got to find what you love. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking.”
| A．wanted to start a company. |
| B．had financial problems. |
| C．took no interest in his major. |
| D．hated to share rooms with his friends. |
| A．joined Microsoft in 1987 |
| B．give Apple a second life |
| C．set up another company |
| D．invented the iPhone |
| A．Interest is key to success. |
| B．Hope helps us succeed. |
| C．Attitude is everything. |
| D．Courage goes with confidence. |
Having friends may well keep you healthier and help you deal with stress better. Some studies show that people with close friends have a greater ability to fight disease than people who are alone.
Make friendship a priority(优先). Find the time to be with friends even if it means letting the lawn go unmowed(未割草) or the dishes unwashed for a while. When you can’ t get together, use the phone to keep in touch.
Open up to close friends. Keeping a deep friendship requires a level of heartfelt intimacy(亲密). Don’t be afraid to express your inner fears and disappointments. Listen to your friends when they have problems, but offer advice only when it’s wanted. Help raise friends’ self-esteem when they are sad by a job loss, or other such events.
Have different friends for different activities, such as going to the movies, singing in a choir(合唱), and joining in a bowling league.
Don’t wait for a friend to ask a favor. When a friend has the flu, offer to go to the store or drive his or her children to their after-school activities.
Never take a friendship for granted. Like a good marriage, friendship needs care and patience. Become a joiner. Find a group that matches your interests.
Talk to strangers. Conversations started in museums, laundry rooms, or bookstores can lead to firm friendship.
Enroll in an adult-education course. A classroom is an ideal place to meet others with similar interests.
| A．Make friendship a priority. |
| B．Open up to close friends. |
| C．Never take a friendship for granted |
| D．All the above. |
| A．You should have different friends for the same activities. |
| B．You should wait for a friend to ask a favor. |
| C．You should avoid talking with stranger in museums, laundry rooms of bookstores. |
| D．You should never take a friendship for granted. |
| A．give | B．join | C．get | D．catch |
On the way to California, my family stopped for lunch. As we walked toward the entrance to the restaurant, a man with a dirty face jumped up from a chair, opened the door for us and greeted us in a friendly way.
Once inside, my daughters said in a low voice, “Mom, he smells.” After we ordered our lunch, I explained, telling the kids to look beyond the dirt. Seeing this rudeness truly upset me, I wanted to set a good example to my children, but sometimes being a good example was difficult. When our meal arrived, I realized I had left the car-sick pills in the truck. With the windiest trip ahead, the kids needed them, so Iwent back to the car for them.
Just then, the “doorman” was opening the door for me, I said a loud “thank you” to him as I exited.
When I returned, we talked a bit. He said he was not allowed inside unless he bought food. I went back and told my family his situation. Then I asked our waitress to add one soup and sandwich. The kids looked puzzled, but when I said the order was for the “doorman”, they smiled. When it was time to continue our trip, I noticed the “doorman” enjoying his meal. Upon seeing me, he stood up and thanked me heartily. He then lifted his hand for a handshake and I gratefully accepted. I suddenly noticed the tears in his eyes-tears of gratitude (感恩). What happened next drew great astonishment: I gave the “doorman” a hug.
Back in truck, I fell into deep thought. While we can’t choose many things in life, we can choose when to show gratitude. I said thanks to a man who had simply helped open a door for me, and also said thanks for that opportunity to teach my children by example.What attitude did the children show to the doorman at first?
| A．dislike | B．surprise |
| C．puzzle | D．interest |
The author returned to the car for car-sick pills because ________.
| A．seeing the doorman made her sick |
| B．she wanted the doorman to open the door for her |
| C．the kids needed them for the windiest trip ahead |
| D．the kids were concerned about the restaurant’s meal |
For what purpose did the author say a loud “thank you” to the doorman?
| A．She wanted to give the children a lesson of gratitude. |
| B．She showed her real love for him. |
| C．She wanted to give the doorman a hand. |
| D．She just showed her polite manner. |
It can be learned from the passage that the doorman _________.
| A．refused to accept the offer |
| B．took the offer for nothing |
| C．gave the author a thankful hug |
| D．was moved to tears for the kind help |
What can we infer from the last paragraph?
| A．We should learn to show gratitude. |
| B．Life is difficult for those in trouble. |
| C．Don’t judge a man by what he wears. |
| D．We should be polite to others. |
Our children grew up on peanut butter and jelly (果冻) sandwiches. Even my husband and I sometimes ate one secretly at late night with a glass of milk. It was too delicious and tasty. My mother-in-law was the jelly maker in this family. The jelly was made of either grape or blackberry. The only job I did to the jelly making was to save baby food jars (罐子), which my mother-in-law would fill with the tasty gel (凝胶体), pack them up and send back to our home. For the past 22 years of my married life, whenever I wanted to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for ourselves, all I had to do was reach for one of those little jars of jelly. It was always there.
This past December, my mother-in-law passed away. Among the things in the house to be divided by her children were the remaining canned goods in the pantry (食品储藏室). When my husband brought his jars home, we carefully put them away in our pantry.
The other day I reached in there to get jelly for a quick sandwich, and there it was. Sitting all alone on the far side of the shelf was a small jar of grape jelly. As I picked up the jar, I suddenly realized something that I had failed to see earlier-this was the last jar we would ever have from my mother-in-law. Although she had been dead for nearly a year, so much of her had remained with us. Our children had never known a day without their grandmother’s jelly. It seems like such a small thing, and most days it was something that was ignored. But today it seemed a great treasure.
No longer was it just a jar of jelly. It was the end of a family tradition. I believed that as long as it was there, a part of my mother-in-law would always live on.Why did the couple eat the jelly secretly at late night?
| A．Because it was very delicious and nice. |
| B．Because it was only made for children. |
| C．Because it was made by mother-in-law. |
| D．Because it was good to health. |
What can we know about the author in making jelly?
| A．She could make baby food by herself. |
| B．She could only collect baby food jars. |
| C．She helped her mother fill the jars with the tasty gel. |
| D．She sent the jelly jars home with her husband. |
What did the mother-in-law leave to the author?
| A．The skills to make jelly. |
| B．Some baby food in the house. |
| C．Some canned jars filled with jelly. |
| D．A lot of money. |
What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 3 refer to?
| A．a quick sandwich | B．the shelf |
| C．grape | D．jelly |
What’s the author’s purpose in writing the passage?
| A．To miss her mother-in-law. |
| B．To introduce the skills of making jelly. |
| C．To remember the family tradition. |
| D．To warn people to be nice to the old. |