“Mom, I have cancer.” These four words catapulted my son and me on a journey that lasted two years. On that day I felt a wave of paralyzing fear.
Scott was the oldest of my four children. He was 33 years old and a successful assistant principal at SamRayburn Hifht School in Pasadena, Texas. He and his wife Carolyn were busy raising four active children. Scott was 6’2’’, weighed 200 pounds and had never been sick a day in his life.
A few month earlier a mole（痣）on his neck had changed color. “Dr.Warner called,” Scott said that spring morning. “It’s melanoma.（黑素瘤）” I tried to comfort him, naming all the people I knew who had survived skin cancer. Yet, I felt small tentacles of fear begin to wrap around my chest.
Our next stop was MDAnderson, the famous cancer hospital in Houston. Scott had surgery at the end of May and was scheduled for radiation treatments over the summer recess. “There is an 80 percent chance it won’t reoccur,” the doctors said. At the end of summer, all his tests came back negative and Scott was back at school in the fall. However, in December, Scott discovered a lump on his neck. It was examined and the result came back “malignant.（恶性的）” We now realized that Scott fell into the 20 percent category. I could feel the tentacles tightening around my chest. He entered the hospital for an aggressive treatment, a combination of interferon and interleukin.
After five months of treatment, he had radical surgery on his neck. The test results were encouraging, only three of the 33 lymph nodes（淋巴结） removed were malignant. We were very hopeful.
For the next six months, Scott’s follow-up visits went well. Then in October, X-ray revealed a spot on his lung. The spot was removed during surgery and the doctors tried to be optimistic. It was a daily battle to control the fear and panic each setback brought.
In January, he was diagnosed as having had a “disease explosion.” The cancer had spread to his lungs, spine and liver and he was given three to six months to live. There were times during this period when I felt like I was having a heart attack. The bands constricting my chest made breathing difficult.
When you watch your child battle cancer, you experience a roller coaster of emotions. There are moments of hope and optimism but a bad test result or even an unusual pain can bring on dread and panic.
Scott was readmitted to the hospital for one last try with chemotherapy. He died, quite suddenly, just six weeks after his last diagnosis. I was completely destroyed. I had counted on those last few months.
The next morning I was busy notifying people and making funeral arrangements. I remember having this nagging feeling that something was physically wrong with me. It took a moment to realize that the crushing sensation in my chest was gone. The thing every parent fears the most had happened. My son was gone. Of course, the fear had been replaced by unbearable sorrow.
After you lose a child, it is so difficult to go on. The most minimal tasks, combing your hair or taking a shower, becoming monumental. For months I just sat and stared into space. That spring, the trees began to bloom; flowers began to pop up in my garden. Friendswood was coming back to life but I was dead inside.
During those last weeks, Scott and I often spoke about life and death. Fragments of those conversations kept playing over and over in my mind.
“Don’t let this ruin your life, Mom.”
“Make sure Dad re models his workshop.”
“Please, take care of my family.”
I remember wishing I could have just one more conversation with him. I knew what I would say, but what would Scott say? “I know how much you love me, Mom. So just sit on the couch and cry.” No, I knew him better than that. Scott loved life and knew how precious it is. I could almost hear his voice saying, “Get up Mom, Get on with your life. It’s too valuable to waste.”
That was the day I began to move forward. I signed up for a cake decorating class. Soon I was making cakes for holidays and birthdays. My daughter-in-law told me about a writing class in Houston. I hadn’t written in years, but since I was retired I decided it be time to start again. The local college advertised a Life Story Writing class that I joined. There I met women who had also lost their children. The Poet Laureate of Texas was scheduled to speak at our local Barnes and Noble. I attended and joined our local poetry society. I never dreamed that writing essays and poems about Scott could be so therapeutic. Several of those poems have ever been published. In addition, each group brought more and more people into my life..
I don’t believe you ever recover from the loss of a child. Scott is in my heart and mind every day. However, I do believe you can survive.
Scott fought so bravery to live and he never gave up. He taught me that life is a gift that should be cherished, not wasted. It has taken years to become the person I am today. The journey has been a difficult, painful process but certainly worth the effort and I know that my son would be proud.How old was Scott probably when he died?
| A．33 | B．35 | C．37 | D．40 |
What does the underlined sentence “ The bands constricting my chest made breathing difficult” probably imply?
| A．It implies that Scott’s mother was likely to have a heart attack. |
| B．It implies that there was something wrong with Scott’s mother’s chest. |
| C．It implies that Scott’s mother was very upset and panic because of Scott’s severe illness. |
| D．It implies that the cancer had spread to her chest just like her son. |
Which of the following statements best shows the author’s feeling about Scott’s death?
| A．It was a daily battle to control the fear and panic each setback brought. |
| B．She felt a wave of fear. |
| C．She felt a feeling of fear begin to wrap around her chest. |
| D．The fear had been replaced by unbearable sorrow. |
From Scott and his mother’s conversation, we can know that Scott is ________.
| A．considerable | B．humorous | C．determined | D．sensitive |
The author intends to tell us that___________.
| A．it takes a long time to make a person recover from the shock of losing a child |
| B．Scott is proud of his mother |
| C．life is full of happiness and sorrow. |
| D．We’d better make our life count instead of counting your days. |
What might be the best title of the passage ?
| A．Life is valuable | B．Grieving and Recovery |
| C．Love and sorrow | D．Alive or dead |
B
 |
68．Zeo is a revolution in the science of sleep mainly because it .
A．can record one’s sleep process
B．is the first product to manage one’s sleep
C．is free of medical risks
D．provides access to sleep fitness websites
69．What is the most remarkable feature of Zeo?
A．Its direct contact with sleep scientists.
B．Its individualized coaching program.
C．Its effectiveness in curing sleep disorders.
D．Its immediate analysis of sleep data.
70．What customer service does Zeo provide?
A．Cheap online tools.
B．A 30-day action plan.
C．Personalized bedside display.
D．Free delivery of the product.
71．The passage is primarily written to .
A．encourage people to try the new product
B．instruct people how to use a new tool
C．provide the latest health information
D．illustrate the importance of good sleep habit
Directions: Read the following four passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read.
All over the world, children in hospital are being treated with a new kind of medicine: laughter. Lucy is 23 and works for Theodora Children's Trust. She is one of many clown（小丑）doctors who bring a smile to the faces of sick children.
"I'm a Theodora clown doctor. I call myself Dr Looloo. I spend two days a week in children's hospitals, making funny faces, telling jokes, and doing magic tricks. As I walk into the wards I blow bubbles, shake hands with the kids, and make up nonsense songs for those children well enough to sing. I take special balloons to make 'balloon animals' and tell funny stories about them.
I'm naturally a very cheerful person. I've always been a clown. In fact my father's a clown a d I started working with him when I was eight year old. I knew it was just the job for me and I became a clown doctor because I think it's a great way to cheer up sick, frightened children in hospital.
Being a clown in hospital is very tiring both physically and emotionally. We have to learn not to show our feelings, otherwise we'd be useless. Clown doctors are sensitive but this is not a side most people see. To the children we're happy all the time. I'm still learning to allow myself to feel sad occasionally. There are special kids you get really close to. At the moment I'm working with a very sick little girl from Bosnia who speaks no English, so our only common language is laughter.
At weekends I participate in events to raise money for Theodora Children's Trust. It's a charity, so we are paid with the money people give. Being a clown doctor makes the worries of everyday life seem small. All in all, feel honoured to do this job. "
| 1． |
Lucy works as a clown doctor because .
|
| 2． |
What do clown doctors usually do in hospital?
|
| 3． |
Lucy thinks that being a clown doctor is .
|
Ⅲ. 阅读理解
We spent a day in the country, picking wild flowers. With the car full of flowers we were going home. On our way back my wife noticed a cupboard outside a furniture shop. It was tall and narrow. “Buy it, ” my wife said at once. “We’ll carry it home on the roof rack. I’ve always wanted one like that.”
What could I do? Ten minutes later I was ￡20 poorer; and the cupboard was tied on the roof rack. It was six feet long and eighteen inches square, quite heavy too.
In the gathering darkness I drove slowly. Other drivers seemed unusually polite that evening. The police even stopped traffic to let us through. Carrying furniture was a good idea.
After a time my wife said, “There’s a long line of cars behind. Why don’t they overtake, I wonder?” In fact a police car did overtake. The two officers inside looked at us seriously as they passed. But then, with great kindness, they led us through the rush-hour traffic. The police car stopped at our village church. One of the officers came to me.
“Right, sir, ” he said. “Do you need any more help?”
I was a bit puzzled. “Thanks, officer, ” I said. “You have been very kind. I live just on the road.”
He was staring at our car, first at the flowers, then at the cupboard. “Well, well, ” he said, laughing. “It’s a cupboard you’ve got there! We thought it was something else.”
My wife began to laugh. The truth hit me like a stone between the eyes. I smiled at the officer. “Yes, it’s a cupboard, but thanks again.” I drove home as fast as I could.
36. In fact the husband _______ the cupboard.
A. would like very much to buy B. badly wanted
C. was glad to have bought D. would rather not buy
37. Other drivers thought they were _______.
A. carrying a cupboard to the church B. sending flowers to the church
C. carrying nothing but a piece of furniture D. going to attend a funeral at the church
38. The police will be more polite to those who are _______.
A. driving in gathering darkness B. in great sorrow
C. driving with wild glowers in the car D. carrying furniture
39. What did the husband think of this matter?
A. It was very strange. B. He felt ashamed of it.
C. He took great pride in it. D. He was puzzled at it.
三、阅读理解：
It is natural for young people to be critical of their parents at times and to blame them for most of the misunderstandings between them. They have always complained, more or less justly, that their parents are out of touch with modern ways; that they are possessive and dominant; that they do not trust their children to deal with crises; that they talk too much about certain problems and that they have no sense of humor, at least in parent-child relationships.
I think it is true that parents often underestimate their teenage children and also forget how they themselves felt when young.
Young people often irritate their parents with their choices in clothes and hairstyles, in entertainers and music. This is not their motive. They feel cut off from the adult world into which they have not yet been accepted. So they create a culture and society of their own. Then, if it turns out that their music or entertainers or vocabulary or clothes or hairstyles irritate their parents, this gives them additional enjoyment. They feel they are superior, at least in a small way, and that they are superior, at least in a small way, and that they are leaders in style and taste.
Sometimes you are resistant and proud because you do not want your parents to approve of what you do. If they did approve, it looks as if you are betraying your own age group. But in that case, you are assuming that you are the underdog: you can’t win but at least you can keep your honor. This is a passive way of looking at things. It is natural enough after long years of childhood, when you were completely under your parents’ control. But it ignores the fact that you are now beginning to be responsible for yourself.
If you plan to control your life, co-operation can be part of that plan. You can charm others, especially parents, into doing things the way you want. You can impress others with your sense of responsibility and initiative, so that they will give you the authority to do what you want to do.
36. The author is primarily addressing _______.
A. parents of teenagers B. newspaper readers.
C. those who give advice to teenagers D. teenagers
37. The first paragraph is mainly about _______.
A. the teenagers’ criticism of their parents.
B. misunderstanding between teenagers and their parents.
C. the dominance of the parents over their children
D. the teenagers’ ability to deal with crises.
38. Teenagers tend to have strange clothes and hairstyles because they ______.
A. want to show their existence by creating a culture of their own.
B. have a strong desire to be leaders in style and taste.
C. have no other way to enjoy themselves better.
D. want to irritate their parents.
39. To improve parent-child relationships, teenagers are advised to be _____.
A. obedient B. responsible C. co-operative D. independent.
When most people think of tropical islands, lined with white sandy beaches and bright blue seas, it is often the Caribbean or South Pacific that comes to mind. But for Chinese tourists who want a taste of paradise on Earth there is new place to consider. Mauritius, an island lying off the southeast of Africa in the Indian Ocean, has just been added to China’s list of tourist destinations. Rich in history, natural beauty and culture, the island has been a popular destination for the world’s tourists for many years.
On December 15 a total of eight African countries were added to the list. The others are Tunisia, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Zambia and the Seychelles.
The island has passed through the controlling hands of a number of European powers, including Dutch, French and British. In 1968, Mauritius won its independence.
At present, over half the population of Mauritius is Hindu and another fifth is Muslim (穆斯林). Both groups are descendants (后裔) from workers brought to the island from India by the British. Some Chinese were also brought over to work. There are also descendants of African slaves and Franco Mauritians, the original settlers of the island. One of the best things about the island is the food. There is a mouth watering mix of European, Chinese and Indian flavours and seafood is very popular. A typical Mauritian dinner might have Indian chicken curry, Chinese pork, British roast beef and French style vegetables. Boiled rice is served with just about everything. All that is washed down with a plentiful supply of local beer and rum (浪姆酒).
The pleasant tropical climate and scenery provide the perfect setting to enjoy everything. The sea is full of colorful life that lives around the coral reef (珊瑚礁). This makes Mauritius a wonderful place for swimming and diving. The large number of interesting fish means it is also an exciting place for those who like to go fishing.
52. Which group of the following topics is NOT discussed in the text?
A. Food and history. B. Scenery and population.
C. Location and sports. D. Natural resources and agriculture.
53. Which of the following is TRUE?
A. Mauritius has something similar to the Caribbean or South Pacific.
B. Mauritius has a history of less than 40 years.
C. Mauritius has been a popular destination for Chinese tourists for many years.
D. The main food in Mauritius is local beer and rum.
54. The underlined word "This" in the last paragraph refers to "______".
A. pleasant tropical climate B. beautiful scenery
C. the sea with colorful life D. the coral reef
55. The text is mainly written to_______.
A. attract more Chinese to travel to Mauritius.
B. introduce some information about Mauritius.
C. give some advice on how to visit Mauritius.
D. help the visitors understand more about Mauritius.