Dear Michelle,
My Dad hates my Mom. He tells me that she is a liar and that I should not trust her. Of course, they are divorced but they have “joint custody” (共同监护). What a joke! I am 15, my brother is nine, and we have a life of hell, frankly.
We live one week on and one week off. This was the brilliant idea of both of my parents, which was fair to them but ruining my life. I cannot get away from his voice and his putting my mom down. Sometimes I think about running away.
A Hopeless Ant
Dear Hopeless Ant,
First, thank you for trusting me with your problem. If all you said is correct, then there are several things that you can and should do to help yourself, your brother, and oddly enough, your parents.
You need a family counselor. Such a person could listen to each family member alone and then meet together to talk about the situation.
If refused, you need to talk to a counselor in your school. You need to be heard, and you need an adult who will listen. A school counselor can organize a meeting with your parents.
Perhaps you need to write to your mother. Writing things down allows people to go over it more than one time.
I cannot imagine that she will stand passively by and do nothing at all to help once she reads how you feel. Your father needs a letter as well. He may not realize the destructive effect that it has on his children.
Lastly, have a plan in mind when all else fails that is not self-destructive. Life passes very quickly, sweetheart, and you will grow up and have your own life.
Until then, you need to keep yourself safe. Never doubt that it will get better. Write back and let me know how everything is going.
MichelleThe Hopeless Ant wrote the letter to ________.
A.express dissatisfaction with his parents |
B.ask for advice seriously |
C.make his father punished |
D.just make a joke |
The Hopeless Ant hated his father because ________.
A.his father always told a lie |
B.his father wasn’t friendly to his mother |
C.his father divorced his mother |
D.the Hopeless Ant couldn’t stay with his parents |
According to the text, which of the following is the Hopeless Ant in need of at present?
A.Keep himself/herself away from danger. |
B.Have a talk with his/her parents. |
C.Have his/her own family plan. |
D.Write letters to families. |
In which part of a magazine will the text probably appear?
A.Entertainment | B.Advertisement | C.Life | D.Education |
Bad teeth can be painful — and worse. They can even be deadly. Infections (感染)of the gums (牙龈)and the teeth can cause bacteria (细菌)to go into the blood system. Those bacteria can increase the chance of a heart attack and worsen the effects of other diseases. And adults are not the only ones at risk. For example, in 2007, doctors in the Washington area said a boy died when a tooth infection spread to his brain. They said it might have been prevented had he received the dental care (牙齿 保健)he needed. He was twelve years old.
Experts at the National Institutes of Health say good dental care starts at birth. Breast milk, they say, is the best food for the healthy development of teeth. Breast milk can help slow the growth of bacteria and acid production in the mouth.
But dentists say a baby's gums and early teeth should be cleaned after each feeding. Use a cloth with a little warm water. Do the same if a baby is fed with a bottle. Experts say if you decide to put your baby to sleep with a bottle, only give the child water.
When baby teeth begin to appear, you can clean them with a wet toothbrush. Dentists say it is important to find soft toothbrushes made especially for babies and to use them very gently.
The use of fluoride (氟化物)to protect teeth is common in many parts of the world. For example, it is often added to drinking water supplies. The fluoride mixes with enamel (法琅质), the hard surface on teeth, to help prevent holes from forming.
31.According to the passage, bad teeth can be ____________.
A.painful B. deadly C.preventive D.incurable
32.The writer uses the boy's death as an example to show that _______•
A. not only adults but the young may suffer from teeth problem
B. babies with bad teeth can easily die
C. the doctors should be responsible for the case
D. the boy was not fed with his breast milk
33. What's the main idea of paragraph 4 and 5?
A. How to develop babies' teeth.B. Why to protect babies' teeth
C. How to keep babies' teeth cleanD. Why to keep babies' teeth clean
34. The passage tells us that _______.
A. Enamel is most widely used to protect teeth in the world
B. Bad teeth may affect the health of adults and the young
C. Breast milk can cure babies' bad teeth
D. Babies' teeth should be brushed once per day
35.Which of the following can be used as the title of the passage?
A. Concerns for Healthy Teeth of the Young B. Importance of Healthy Teeth of All
C. Causes of Teeth Problem D. Solutions to Teeth Problem
Millions of girls grow up with the hope of becoming a famous singer. Some even win local talent competitions as children, but only a few such early successes and dreams turn into reality. Jessica Andrews is one of the few whose dreams have come true.
Andrews, first taste of success came at the age of 10. She won a talent competition in her home town of Huntingdon, Tennessee, singing I Will Always Love You, originally sung by Whitney Houston. Houston's version of the song appeared on The Bodyguard sound track, which happened to be the first album Andrews ever bought.
Within two years, talk of Andrews had spread to Nashville and caught the attention of producer Byron Gallimore, whose credits include work with Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, and Jo Dee Messina. With Gallimore signed on to produce, Andrews soon had a recording contract (合同)with Dream Works' Nashville label.
Andrews' professional career was launched with 1999's Heart Shaped World, recorded when she was 14 years old. The album included the country hit I Will Be There For You, which also appeared on The Prince Of Egypt . She followed up the release of the album by touring as a support act for such country superstars as Faith Hill and Trisha Yearwood.
With the release of 2001’s, Who I Am, Andrews became a star in her own right. The album was certified (证明)gold for sales of 500,000 copies. Andrews returned in April 2003 with Now,an album that she promised would show a new side of the young artist. "This album has a very different feeling for me," she said. "It's a lot more personal and there's a confidence that wasn't quite there on the first two. I feel especially connected to this group of songs."According to the passage, who mostly helped Andrews to achieve success ?
A.Tim McGraw | B.Whitney Houston | C.Faith Hill | D.Byron Gallimore |
What's the meaning of the underlined word “launched,,in the fourth paragraph?
A.Started. | B.Sent. | C.Aimed. | D.Set. |
Which of the following statements is WRONG according to the passage?
A.The Bodyguard was the first album Andrews ever bought. |
B.After Andrews sang Who I Am,she became a star in her own right. |
C.I Will Always Love You was originally sung by Whitney Houston. |
D.Now expresses a new feeling of Andrews. |
Which of the following may NOT be Andrews' album?
A.Now. | B.Heart Shaped World. | C.The Prince of Egypt. | D.Who IAm |
Which of the following is the best title of the passage?
A.Jessica Andrews' Life | B.Jessica Andrews' Dream |
C.Jessica Andrews' Songs | D.Jessica Andrews' Success as a Singer |
I’ve loved my mother’s desk since I was just tall enough to see above the top of it as mother sat doing letters. Standing by her chair, looking at the ink bottle, pens and white paper, I decided that the act of writing must be the most wonderful thing in the world.
Years later, during her final illness, mother kept different things for my sister and brother. “But the desk,” she said again, “is for Elizabeth.”
I never saw her angry, never saw her cry. I knew she loved me; she showed it in action. But as a young girl, I wanted heart-to-heart talks between mother and daughter.
They never happened. And a gulf opened between us. I was “too emotional (易动感情的)”. But she lived “on the surface”.
As years passed and I had my own family. I loved my mother and thanked her for our happy family. I wrote to her in careful words and asked her to let me know in any way she chose that she did forgive me.
I posted the letter and waited for her answer, none came.
My hope turned to disappointment, then little interest and, finally, peace it seemed that nothing happened. I couldn’t be sure that the letter had even got to Mother. I only knew that I had written it, and I could stop trying to make her into someone she was not.
Now the present of her desk told me, as she’d never been able to, that she was pleased that writing was my chosen work. I cleaned the desk carefully and found some papers inside — a photo of my father and a one-page letter, folded (折叠) and refolded many times.
Give me an answer, my letter asks, in any way you choose, Mother, you always chose the act that speaks louder than words.The writer began to love her mother’s desk _______.
A.after Mother died | B.before she became a writer |
C.when she was a child | D.when mother gave it to her |
The passage shows that _______.
A.Mother was too serious about everything her daughter had done |
B.Mother cared much about her daughter in words |
C.Mother wrote to her daughter in careful words. |
D.Mother was cold on the surface but kind in her heart to her daughter |
The world “gulf ” in the passage means _______.
A.deep understanding between the old and the young. |
B.different ideas between the mother and the daughter. |
C.free talks between mother and daughter. |
D.part of the sea going far in land. |
What did Mother do with her daughter’s letter asking for forgiveness?
A.She had never received the letter. |
B.For years, she often talked about the letter. |
C.She didn’t forgive her daughter at all in all her life. |
D.She read the letter again and again till she died. |
What’s the best title of the passage?
A.My letter to Mother | B.Mother and Children |
C.My Mother’s Desk | D.Talks between Mother and me. |
Bicycles are a great way to get around. They’re fun to ride, especially down hills. And, as you speed along the road, you might also think of ways in which you could improve your bike— make it safer, more efficient, or more comfortable. In fact, the two-wheeled machines make for some cool science projects.
This year's Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), held last May in Cleveland, featured(had)three bicycle projects from three countries. Like many of the other experiments presented at ISEF, the bike projects showed that some of the most interesting scientific research often begins by taking a closer look at things you care about.
Renato Angulo Chu had even grander ambitions. The 12th-grader from Lima, Peru, wanted to address some of his country's economic troubles.
"I see a problem in my country," Renato said. "If you go to the forests in Peru, in some places you cannot find electricity. If you go with my bicycle, you can turn on the lights."
Renato, 16, spent 3 years designing his special Multibike. The device looks like a fixed exercise bike. It has wires fixed along the frame and a blender strapped (fastened) to the back. Turning the pedals operates the blender. The same principle can be used to sharpen knives or sweep city streets.
The Multibike can work either as a fixed bike or as a bicycle able to travel city streets and country roads. It's made from inexpensive materials, and the user gets exercise while pedaling to operate a machine.
"You pedal the bike, and you can mix any drink you want," Renato said. More importantly, he added, the same concept could be used to bring light to houses in remote regions of the rainforest. What can we learn from the first paragraph?
A.Bikes should be made more comfortable to ride. |
B.You can improve your bicycle for science research. |
C.Many inventions are connected with the bicycle. |
D.Bicycles are the best way to go about |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A.ISEF is an exhibiton displaying bicycle experiments designed by students. |
B.Looking closely at things you are concerned about can lead to scientific research. |
C.Renato’s improvement of the bicycle has solved the country’s great problem. |
D.Renato’s special bicycle will soon be put into use in remote areas.’ |
The underlined word “address” in the third paragraph probably has the same meaning as _______.
A.make address written | B.give up | C.work at | D.speak at |
Renato’s special Multibike has all the following EXCEPT ________.
A.making knives sharp | B.mixing any kind of drinks |
C.producing electricity | D.operating a machine with its own electricity |
It can be inferred that Renato’s special bicycle is mainly designed for ________.
A.distant areas in the rainforest without electricity. |
B.the use of his own family to make life easier. |
C.the competition of ISEF to win money to support remote rainforests |
D.enough exercise by pedaling it |
“It hurts me more than you” and “This is for your own good” — these are the statements my mother used to make years ago when I had to learn Latin, clean my room, stay home and do homework.
That was before we entered the permissive period in education in which we decided it was all right not to push our children to achieve their best in school. The schools and the educators made it easy for us. They taught that it as all right to be parents who take a let-alone policy. We stopped making our children do homework. We gave them calculators, turned on the television, left the teaching to the teachers and went on vacation.
Now teachers, faced with children who have been developing at their own pace for the past 15 years, are realizing we’ve made a terrible mistake. One such teacher is Sharon Klompus who speaks of her students “so passive” and wonders what has happened. Nothing is demanded of them, she believes. Television, says Klompus, contributes to children’s passivity. “We’re talking about a generation of kids who've never been hurt or hungry. They have learned somebody will always do it for them, instead of saying 'go and look it up’, you tell them the answer. It takes greater energy to say no to a kid.”
Yes, it does. It takes energy and it takes work. It’s time for parents to end their vacation and come back to work. It's time to take the car away, to turn the TV off, to tell them it hurts you more than them but it's for their own good. It's time to start telling them no again. Children are becoming more inactive in study because _______.
A.they watch TV too often | B.they have done too much homework |
C.they have to fulfill too many duties | D.teachers are too strict with them |
By “permissive period in education” (L.1, Para. 2) the author means a time _______.
A.when everything can be taught at school |
B.when every child can be educated |
C.when children are permitted to receive education |
D.when children are allowed to do what they wish to |
The main idea of the passage is that _______.
A.parents should leave their children alone |
B.kids should have more activities at school |
C.it's time to be more strict with our kids |
D.parents should always set a good example to their kids |