It was an autumn morning shortly after my husband and I moved into our first house. Children were upstairs unpacking , and I was looking out of the window at my father moving around mysteriously on the front lawn. My parents lived nearby ,and Dad had visited us several times already. “What are you doing out there?” I called to him .He looked up, smiling. “I’m making you a surprise.” Knowing my father, I thought it could be just about anything. A self-employed jobber, he was always building things out of odds and ends. When we were kids, he always created something surprising for us.
Today, however, Dad would say no more, and caught ups in the busyness of our new life, I eventually forgot about his surprise. Until one gloomy day the following March when I glanced out of the window. Any yet… I saw a dot of blue across the yard. I headed outside for a closer look. They were crocuses (番红花), throughout the front lawn. Lavender, blue, yellow and my favorite pink ---- little faces moved up and down in the cold wind.
Dad! I smiled, remembering the things he had secretly planted last autumn. He knew how the darkness and dullness of winter always got me down. What could have been more perfectly timely to my needs?
My father’s crocuses bloomed each spring for the next four or five seasons, bringing the same assurance every time they arrived: hard times was almost over. Hold on, keep going, light is coming soon.
Then a spring came with only half the usual blooms. The next spring there were none. I missed the crocuses. I would ask Dad to come over and plant new bulbs. But I never did.
He died suddenly one October day. My family was in deep sorrow, leaning on our faith. I missed him terribly.
Four years passed, and on a dismal spring afternoon I was driving back when I found myself feeling depressed. “You’ve got the winter depression again and you get them every year.” I told myself.
It was Dad’s birthday, and I found myself thinking about him. This was not unusual --- my family often talked about him, remembering how he lived his faith. Once I saw him give his coat to a homeless man.
Suddenly I slowed as I turned into our driveway. I stopped and stared at the lawn. And there on the muddy grass and small gray piles of melting snow, bravely waving in the wind, was one pink crocus.
How could a flower bloom from a bulb more than 18 years old, one that had not blossomed in over a decade? But there was the crocus. Tears filled my eyes as I realized its significance.
Hold on, keep going, light is coming soon. The pink crocus bloomed for only a day. But it built my faith for a lifetime.According to the first three paragraphs, we learn that _________.
| A．the writer was unpacking when her father was making the surprise |
| B．the writer knew what the surprise was because she knew her father |
| C．it was not the first time that the writer’s father had made a surprise |
| D．it kept bothering the writer not knowing what the surprise was |
Which of the following would most probably be the worst time of the year as seen by the writer?
| A．Spring. | B．Summer. | C．Autumn. | D．Winter. |
Which of the following is NOT true, according to the passage?
| A．The writer’s father planted the crocus to lift her low spirit. |
| B．The crocuses bloomed each spring before the writer’s father died. |
| C．The writer often thought about her father since her father died. |
| D．The writer’s father died some years after he planted the crocus. |
The writer’s father should be best described as_________.
| A．a full-time gardener with skillful hands |
| B．a part-time jobber who loved flowers |
| C．a kind-hearted man who lived with faith |
| D．an ordinary man with doubts in his life |
Crocus was viewed as the symbol of _________ by the writer.
| A．faith | B．family | C．love | D．friendship |
People in the United States honor their parents with two special days: Mother’s Day, on the second Sunday in May, and Father’s Day, on the third Sunday in June. These days are set aside to show love and respect for parents. They raise their children and educate them to be responsible citizens. They give love and care. These two days offer a chance to think about the changing roles of mothers and fathers. More mothers now work outside the home. More fathers must help with child-care.
These two special days are celebrated in many different ways. On Mother’s Day people wear carnations. A red one stands for a living mother. A white one shows that the mother is dead. Many people attend religious services(宗教仪式) to honor parents. It is also a day when people whose parents are dead visit their graves(墓). On these days, families get together at home and in restaurants. These are days of fun and good feelings and memories.
Another tradition is to give cards and gifts. Children make them in school. Many people make their own presents. These are valued more than the ones bought in stores. It is not the value of the gift that is important, but it is “the thought that counts”. Greeting card stores, florists, candy makers, bakeries（面包房）, telephones companies and other stores do a lot of business during these holidays.
45.Which is NOT a reason for children to show love and respect for parents?
A Parents bring up children
B Parents give love and care to children
C Parents educate children to be good persons.
D Parents pass away before children grow up
46.What do you know from the passage?
A Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are both in May.
B Fewer women worked outside the home in the past
C Not all the children respect their parents
D Fathers are not as important as mothers at home
47.Which do you think is right about “carnation”?
A It only has two kinds of color.
B It is a special kind of clothes people wear on Mother’s Day or Father’s Day.
C It’s a kind of flower showing love and best wishes.
D People can wear carnations only on the third Sunday in June.
48.What do you think “florists” do?
A They sell flowers B They made bread or pastry
C They offer enough room for having family parties.
D They sell special candy for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.
Every day we go to school and listen to the teacher, and the teacher will ask us some questions. Sometimes, the classmates will ask for your opinions of the work of the class. When you are telling others in the class what you have found out about these topics, remember that they must be able to hear what you are saying. You are not taking part in a family conversation or having a chat with friends— they will remain silent, waiting to hear what you have to say. In the class, you must speak so that they can hear you—loudly enough and clearly enough but without trying to shout or appearing to force yourself.
Remember, too, that it is the same if you are called to an interview whether it is with a professor of your school or a government official who might meet you. The person you are seeing will try to put you at your ease (not worried) but the situation is somewhat different from that of an ordinary conversation. You must take special care that you can be heard.
41. Usually, when you speak to the class, the class is____________.
16．noisy B. quiet C. having a rest D. serious
42. The situation in the class is _____than in your house.
A.not very different from B. sometimes the same as
C. sometimes not different from D. not the same as
43. If you are having a conversation with an official, the most important thing for you is _________.
A. to show your ability B. to be very gentle
C. to make sure that you can be heard D. to put the official at ease
44. The main idea of the passage is _________.
A.that we should not talk in different ways in different situations
17．that we must speak loudly to make ourselves heard when stating our opinions in serious situations
18．that we must keep silent at any time
19．that we must talk with the class
Dog walkers provide a 20 to 60-minute daily walk for a client’s（客户）dog, making sure the dog answers the call of nature and gets proper exercise. They often walk more than one dog at a time. Some walkers work for dog-walking services, especially when starting out. Others have their own businesses, and build by word of mouth and advertising. Dog walkers often work part-time, and some provide other services like pet sitting or transporting.
In N.Y.C., dog walkers usually earn about $25 an hour. If you work for a dog-walking business, you may earn less-if you are on your own dealing with several dogs at the same time, it may be more.
What do you have to do to be a dog walker?
First, have a real love of dogs, and have a good knowledge of how to get on with dogs. Try calling dog-walking services to find out about openings. If you’re on your own, you’ll need to network and market yourself. You might advertise your services in pet offices, grooming businesses, or neighborhood papers. You will need business cards and a mobile phone, and have good references and a clean background. You’ll also have to deal with taxes and insurance. You should be physically fit, friendly, neatly dressed and extremely dependable. Many dog walkers are bonded（被担保的）and insured, and this is a definite selling point to clients.
Of course, you will be cleaning up dog waste! You will also be outside in all kinds of weather. You may have to deal with dogs that don’t like each other ,and difficult owners. It’s also an up and down kind of business-clients can come and go.
For pet lovers, spending the workday with dogs instead of navigating office politics is its own reward! You are your own boss-you can dress casually, your doggy clients will love you unconditionally, and you’ll get some great exercise!
71. By writing the passage the writer tries to.
A. introduce you to a job B. enrich your knowledge about pets
C. advertise for a business D. tell you more about life in New York
72. The passage offers no information about how toas a dog walker.
A. find a client B. train a dog
C. get prepared D. make more money
73. One who wants tomay find the passage helpful.
A. take up a weekend job B. keep a good pet dog
C. make money in his daily spare time D. be a part-time office worker
74. The last paragraph but one (beginning with “Of course”) is meant to tell you.
A. what dog-walking is like B. why dog-walking is worth trying
C. the unknown part of dog-walking D. the bad side of dog-walking
75. What does the underlined word casually in the last paragraph possibly mean?
A. as you like B. like a boss
C. in a dog-friendly way D. in nice clothes
A study published Monday found that people who sleep less tend to be fat, and experts said it’s time to find out if more sleep will fight fatness.
“We’ve put so much emphasis on diet and exercise that we've failed to recognize the value of good sleep,” said Fred Turek, a physician at Northwestern University.
Monday’s study from Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk covered 1,000 people and found that total sleep time decreased as body mass index - a measure of weight based on height - increased.
Men slept an average of 27 minutes less than women and overweight and fat patients slept less than patients with normal weights, it said. In general the fatter subjects slept about 1.8 hours a week less than those with normal weights.
“Americans experience insufficient sleep and fat bodies. Clinicians are aware of the burden of fatness on patients,” the study said.
“Our findings suggest that major extensions of sleep time may not be necessary, as an extra 20 minutes of sleep per night seems to be associated with a lower body mass index,” it added.
“We caution that this study does not establish a cause-and-effect relationship between restricted sleep and fatness (but) investigations indicating success in weight loss via extensions of sleep would help greatly to set up such a relationship.”
The study was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine along with an editorial by Turek and Northwestern colleague Joseph Bass commenting on it and related research.
In an interview, Turek said some studies have shown sleep causes declines in an appetite suppressing protein hormone, and increases in another hormone that causes a longing for food. In addition neuropathies（神经疗法）in the brain governing sleep and fatness appear to overlap（重叠）, he said.
Patness has been rising dramatically in developed countries and reached epidemic（流行病） levels in the United States, it added, leading to a variety of health problems.
66. What’s the passage mainly about?
A. People who sleep less tend to get fat.
B. Fat people need lots of sleep to lose weight.
C. Sleeping has nothing to do with fatness.
D. Fatness has been rising dramatically in developed countries.
67. According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
A. Lack of sleep causes declines in a desire limiting protein hormone.
B. Americans experience sufficient sleep and fat bodies.
C. The findings suggest that major extensions of sleep time may be necessary.
D. Fatness has been rising dramatically in America.
68. Which of the following is NOT close to the underlined word suppress?
A. limit B. restrict C. accept D. control
69. According to the passage, which of the following people is the lowest possible one to get fatness?
A. Americans B. Chinese C. Japanese D. English
70. We can conclude the attitude of the author isaccording to the passage.
A. worried B. uninterested C. critical D. optimistic
Sport is not only physically challenging, but it can also be mentally challenging. Criticism from coachers, parents, and other teammates, as well as pressure to win can create too much anxiety or stress for young athletes. Stress can be physical, emotional, or psychological and research has indicated that it can lead to burnout. Burnout has been described as dropping or quitting of an activity that was at one time enjoyable.
The early years of development are critical years for learning about oneself. The sport setting is one where valuable experiences can take place. Young athletes can, for example, learn how to cooperate with others, make friends, and gain other social skill that will be used throughout their lives. Coaches and parents should be aware, at all times, that their feedback to youngsters can greatly affect their children. Youngsters may take their parents’ and coaches’ criticisms to heart and find a fault in themselves.
Coaches and parents should also be cautious that youth sport participation does not become work for children. The outcome of the game should not be more important than the process of learning the sport and other life lessons. In today’s youth sport setting, young athletes may be worrying more about who will win instead of enjoying themselves and the sport. Following a game many parents and coaches focus on the outcome and find fault with youngsters’ performances. positive support should be provided regardless of the outcome. Research indicates that positive reinforcement motivates(激发)and has a greater effect on learning than criticism. Again, criticism can create high levels of stress, which can lead to burnout.
61. An effective way to prevent the burnout of young athletes is _________.
A. to make sports less competitive B. to increase their sense of success
C. to reduce their mental stress D. to make sports more challenging
62. According to the passage, sport is positive for young people in that _________.
A. it can help them learn more about society
B. it enables them to find faults in themselves
C. it can provide them with valuable experiences
D. it teaches them how to set realistic goals for themselves
63. Many coaches and parents are in the habit of criticizing young athletes.
A. believing that criticism is beneficial for their early development
B. without realizing criticism may destroy their self confidence
C. in order to make them remember life’s lessons
D. so as to put more pressure on them
64. According to the passage parents and coaches should _________.
A. pay more attention to letting children enjoy sports
B. help children to win every game
C. train children to cope with stress
D. enable children to understand the positive aspect of sports
65. The author’s purpose in writing the passage is __________.
A. to teach young athletes how to avoid burnout
B. to persuade young children not to worry about criticism
C. to stress the importance of positive support to children
D. to discuss the skill of combining criticism with encouragement