Our particular parenting style reflects our own way of “looking”. Here’s a great piece of writing reflecting parent’s particular ways on the parenting style that have become known humorously as helicopter parenting and submarine parenting.
Helicopter parents hover over their children, managing every aspect of their child’s life. On the contrary, submarine parents remain “hidden” coming to the surface when guidance is needed.
While helicopter parents may have the best intentions, in reality, they are raising children with few problem solving skills. Children with hovering parents never get the chance to face disappointment and build up their ability to recover from misfortune.
Think about your typical submarine. Submarines usually remain underwater. In case of a need for emergency surfacing, submarines can rise so quickly. They are driven partially out of the water. Submarine parents also remain out of sight, yet able to appear in the case of an emergency.
I admit I’m a submarine mom. My job as a parent is to have fun with my daughters while letting them explore and learn natural consequences. 
My older daughter found herself acting in commercials and making more than minimum wage as a teen. To give her a sense of the real world, I insisted she spend three weeks every summer, picking strawberries and earning $3.50 on a good day.
When my youngest daughter Sondra was six, she wanted a very expensive American Girl Doll. I cut the full color 18" picture out of the American Girl catalogue and had it laminated (压膜). “Here’s your American Girl Doll.” I said “When you turn nine, I’ll buy you the 3D doll on your birthday.” Sondra played with her flat doll for months, making clothes and furniture for her. She learned creativity. I saved $88.00.What is the text mainly about?
| A．Various means of transportation. |
| B．Funny experiences of a mom. |
| C．Humorous stories about parents. |
| D．Different styles of parenting. |
The underlined phrase “hover over” in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to “_____”.
| A．leave behind | B．fly around | C．watch over | D．set aside |
Which of the following can be learned about helicopter parents from the passage?
| A．They give their children proper guidance. |
| B．They try to do everything for their children. |
| C．They teach their children how to face failures. |
| D．They help their children explore by themselves. |
The author supports her point of view mainly by _____.
| A．stating facts and offering advice |
| B．using figures and giving evidence |
| C．analyzing data and drawing conclusions |
| D．making comparisons and giving examples |
When Charles Stratton was five, he stopped growing. His mother took him to see the famous showman, P. T. Barnum. Mr. Barnum thought a small person would be the perfect addition to his show. He hired Charles’ parents along with him, and they traveled the world together.
He gave the two-foot-tall Charles a name, General Tom Thumb. He taught Tom how to sing, dance, act and tell jokes. When he felt Tom was ready to perform on stage, he made up ads. To stir up great interest, he said that Tom was eleven years old and had come from England.
During the show, Tom fought battles pretendedly with tall people. He also danced upon a wooden plate held by a person who was eight feet tall. Tom’s act was very popular and brought in a lot of money. By the time Tom was an adult, he had grown very rich. He had become a billionaire at the age of twenty five.
Fortunately for Tom, Mr. Barnum added more little people to his show, and Tom became lucky in love as well. One of the little people was Lavinia Warren, a schoolteacher. Tom was able to win her love, and they married.
The ceremony and reception were the talk of the town. They were attended by many rich and famous people and by about 2000 guests. Crowds filled the streets of New York to have a look at their tiny wedding marriage. The couple even met with President Abraham Lincoln on their honeymoon just before going to live in Tom’s house in Connecticut.
Their wedding, which took place during the Civil War, provided a welcome escape from the sad problems of war. Not willing to let this bit of sunshine fade, communities throughout the country sponsored(发起) “Tom Thumb” weddings. In these weddings, small boys and girls, all dressed up, went through marriage ceremony for fun.“Talk of the town” means .
| A．it was in the newspaper |
| B．people spread bad rumors about it |
| C．it was the most popular happenings |
| D．it was discussed in a city meeting |
What does the author think about Tom’s wedding?
| A．It helped people cheer up in a dark time. |
| B．People gave it too much of their attention. |
| C．It was funny and ridiculous. |
| D．Tom and Lavinia were stupid. |
Tom would dance
on a wooden plate held by a person who was eight feet tall because .
| A．the wooden plate would make it sound as if Tom was dancing |
| B．it made Tom look taller |
| C．the eight–foot–tall man was the only tall person Tom trusted |
D．the difference between them would make Tom look even  smaller |
What is the main idea of the last paragraph?
| A．Weddings always make people feel full of sunshine. |
| B．People are always disappointed during war time. |
| C．Entertainment can serve an important purpose. |
| D．People should be married when they are small children. |
Winners Club
You choose to be a winner!
The Winners Club is a bank account specially designed for teenagers. It has be
en made to help you better manage your money. The Winners Club is a transaction account（交易账户）where you receive a key-card so you can get to your money 24/7—that’s 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!
It’s a club with impressive features for teenagers:
●No account keeping fees!
You’re no millionaire so we don’t expect you to pay large fees. In fact, there are no account keeping or transaction fees!
●Excellent interest rates!
You want your money to grow. The Winners Club has a good rate of interest which gets even better if you make at least two deposits（储蓄）without taking them out in a month.
●Convenient
Teenagers are busy—we get that. You may never need to come to a bank at all. With the Winners Club you can choose to use handy tellers and to bank from home using the phone and the Internet. You can have money directly deposited into your Winners Club account. This could be your pocket money or your pay from your part-time job!
●Mega magazine included
Along with your regular report, you will receive a FREE magazine full of good ideas to make even more of your money. There are also fantastic offers and competitions only for Winners Club members.
The Winners Club is a great choice for teenagers. And it is so easy to join. Simply fill in an application form. You will have 
to get permission from your parent or guardian (so we can organize that cool key-card) but it is easy. We can’t wait to hear from you. It’s the best way to choose to be a winner!Which of the following is TRUE about the Winners Club?
| A．Special gifts are ready for parents. |
| B．The bank opens only on work days. |
| C．Services are convenient for its members. |
| D．Fees are necessary for the account keeping. |
The Winners Club provides magazines which ________.
| A．encourage spending |
| B．are free to all teenagers |
| C．are full of adventure stories |
| D．help to make more of your money |
If you want to be a member of the Club, you must ________.
| A．be an Internet user |
| B．be permitted by your parent |
| C．have a big sum of money |
| D．be in your twenties |
What is the purpose of this text?
| A．To set up a club. | B．To provide part-time jobs. |
| C．To organize key-cards. | D．To introduce a new banking service. |
I got my first driver’s license (执照) in 1953 by taking driver education in my first year at Central High School in Charlotte, North Carolina. Four years later when it was time to renew my license I was a married woman. Henry and I were living in Baltimore, Maryland. Two weeks before my 20th birthday, Henry drove me to the motor vehicle office on a hot July afternoon. When I got to the office and showed to the man behind the counter my North Carolina driver’s license，ready to renew, the man told me that I was under age by Maryland law since I was not yet 21. “Mr
. Henry Smith, your husband, will have to sign for you,” he said.
I argued, pointing to a very large belly (肚子) of mine, “I am married. I am having a baby. Why should I have to have someone sign for me to drive?” He answered coldly, “It’s the law, madam.”
Henry encouraged me to calm down, just go ahead and get the license and be done with it. “No,” I said. I refused to have him sign for me. So I left without a Maryland license.
I called the North Carolina Motor Vehicle Office and renewed my NC license by mail — using my name Susan Brown. And thus it was for the next twelve years. Since Henry was in the army I could drive under my home state license. By the time Henry left the army we were once again living in Maryland, and I had to take the Maryland driver’s exam. Since then I just go in and renew every four years—sign the name Susan Brown, have my new picture taken, and walk out with a license to drive.Susan got her first driver’s license _________.
| A．before she got married to Henry |
| B．when she was twenty years old |
| C．after she finished high school |
| D．when she just moved to Maryland |
We can infer from the text that in the U.S. _________.
| A．American males should serve in the army |
| B．different states my have different laws |
| C．people have to renew their licenses in their home states |
| D．women should adopt their husbands’ family names after marriage |
Howling is a behaviour commonly observed among a wolf pack. As pack animals, wolves work together to hunt and rely on howling as an important means of communication among each other. There are different explanations of a wolf’s howl and it appears that there may be more to discover.
One theory is that wolves howl to bond better together. It’s almost as if howling together helps the pack stay together. Perhaps something similar to people feeling a sense of involvement with each other when singing a song together. But this theory may be wrong, explains Fred H. Harrington, a professor who studies wolf behaviour.
Indeed, there have been times when wolves have been seen one moment howling in a chorus, and the next, quarreling among each other. It appears that usually the lowest-ranking members of the pack may actually be “punished” for joining in the chorus at times. So is howling a way to strengthen a social bond or just a way to reconfirm status a
mong its members? —Why do wolves howl for sure?
What is clear, however, is that howling is often used among packmates to locate each other. Hunting grounds are distant and it happens that wolves may separate from one another at times. When this happens, howling appears to be an excellent means of gathering.
Howling, interestingly, is a contagious behaviour. When one wolf starts to howl, very likely others will follow. This is often seen to occur in the morning, as if wolves were doing some sort of “roll call” where wolves all howl together to report their presence.What is the possible similarity between wolves’ howling together and humans’ singing in chorus?
| A．The act of calling each other. | B．The sense of accomplishment. |
| C．The act of hunting for something. | D．The sense of belonging to a group. |
Why does Harrington think the “social bond” theory may be wrong?
| A．Wolves separate from each other after howling. |
B．Wolves tend to protect their huntin g grounds. |
| C．Wolves sometimes have quarrels after howling together. |
| D．Wolves of low rank are encouraged to join in the chorus. |
Researchers are sure that wolves often howl to ______.
| A．show their ranks | B．find their companions |
| C．report the missing ones | D．express their loneliness |
“Howling… is a contagious behaviour” (in the last paragraph) means _______.
| A．howling is a signal for hunting |
| B．howling is a way of communication |
| C．howling often occurs in the morning |
| D．howling spreads from one to another |
In today's world of cell phones, mini laptops and MP3 players, most people have at least one time-telling tool with them. Since these devices are so common, is time running out for the 500-year-old watch? According to some consumers, yes. New Jersey teenager Charlie Wollman says a watch is "an extra piece of equipment with no necessary function." Many young adults agree ─ and use their cell phones to tell time. Louis Galie, a senior vice president at Timex, said that fewer young people wear watches today than five years ago. As a result, some people claim that the watch industry is at a crossroads.
However, watchmakers optimistically say that watches regain popularity when consumers reach their 20s and 30s. By then, they are willing to spend money on a quality timepiece that doesn't just keep good time. Fifty years ago, watchmakers boasted(自夸) about their products' accuracy. But in recent years, the watch industry has transformed itself into an accessory(附件，配件) business. And for many today, the image(外形) a watch communicates has become more important than the time it tells.
"Complications" ─ features that go beyond simple timekeeping ─ are an important part of a watch's image. Today's watches offer a host of features that suit almost any personality. These features include altitude trackers(追踪器), compasses(指南针), lunar calendars, USB drives, and even devices that measure the effectiveness of golf swings!
Creativity is also a key element in today's watches. For example, Japanese watchmaker Tokyoflash makes watches that don't even look like watches. The company's popular Shinshoku model uses different color lights to tell the time. It looks more like a futuristic bracelet(手镯) than a watch. Another Japanese watchmaker, EleeNo, makes a "handless" watch. Using a ring of circles to keep time, this watch makes an excellent conversation piece.
Whether a watch communicates fashion sense, creative flair or a love of sports, consumers want their timepieces to stand out. Nowadays, everyone has the same kind of gadget in their bags, so people want to make a statement with what's on their wrists(手腕). Will this interest in wrist fashion last? Only time will tell!Why aren’t watches popular with young people as before?
| A．Because watches cannot keep good time as cell phones, mini laptops and MP3 players. |
| B．Because watches are featured by the disadvantages of simple function |
| C．Because watches are too expensive to afford. |
| D．Because watches don’t have beautiful appearance as other modern time telling tools. |
What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 1 mean?
| A．Watching-making is facing a survival crisis challenge. |
| B．Watching-making is faced with the developing opportunity. |
| C．Watching-making becomes the sun rising industry. |
| D．Watching-making has a specific development target. |
It can be implied that ____________________.
| A．people will gradually lose interest in watches as they grow older |
| B．watchmakers hardly change the development strategy for watches |
| C．today’s watches are better than those in the past in quality |
D．customers used t o be more concerned with the quality of a watch than with its image. |
The following qualities can make a watch popular EXCEPT _________.
| A．multifunction | B．accuracy | C．nice design | D．low price |
What’s the best title of the passage?
| A．Watches and Teenagers | B．The History of Watches |
| C．The Accuracy of Watches | D．Watches Tell More Than Time |