As I was busy working on my work plan in my bedroom, I could hear my four children playing upstairs. Suddenly, I heard the children running down the stairs and shouting, “Freddie, Freddie.” I heard the word “window” and rushed outside, heart in mouth. My three-year old son Freddie was lying on his side on the ground. I cried for my husband Simon to dial 999 and within minutes the air ambulance arrived. They quickly took him in the helicopter. During the flight, Freddie was looking at me and I remember thinking was a good sign, but then his eyes began to roll. As the doctors tried to stabilize(稳定) him, I couldn’t believe what was happening.
When we arrived at the hospital in Portsmouth, there were some doctors and nurses waiting for us and they immediately set to work on Freddie. I was hopelessly wishing everything would be alright, but Freddie had broken his skull in two places and blood clots were forming in his brain. He needed surgery(外科手术), and only a surgeon at another hospital in Bristol could do it. This meant another helicopter ride, but we couldn’t go with Freddie because there was no enough space. Simon and I drove the long 130 miles from our home in north Devon in silence. Neither of us dared say what we were thinking, “What if we get there and he’s dead?” “Is he going to be brain-damaged?”
Freddie was just coming out of surgery when we arrived. The surgeon said it had gone well. When I finally saw him, I hardly recognize my child—he was covered in tubes and there were wires coming out of his head.
On the third day, Simon went home to see our three girls and to pick up some clean clothes for us. While he was gone, the pressure in Freddie’s brain suddenly increased. He was taken into theater again and this time I fell apart. Luckily, the surgery managed to stabilize Freddie. After almost a week, Freddie was finally woken up. When he opened his eyes, he looked at me. He didn’t say anything, but I knew straight away that it was my old Freddie, and that he was going to be alright. Over the next two weeks, his recovery went well. After help with learning to swallow again and encouragement with speaking, he was soon playing with his Gruffalo cards and eating meals by himself.
I still don’t know how the accident happened, but we got some idea from our girls. Clearly Freddie and Minnie had been sitting on the window ledge, and Freddie must have opened it to look out and fallen 20 feet onto the ground below.
The guilt I feel is awful— for weeks I was full of “ if onlys”, and we put window locks everywhere. Six months later, although the accident seems a lifetime ago, it has changed me. I feel differently about life now. I’ve left my job to put my children first. I want to spend every minute with them.The underlined sentence in paragraph 1 shows the author was ______________.
A.hopeless | B.worried | C.curious | D.puzzled |
Why did the author’s son have to be moved to another hospital in Bristol?
A.Because no surgeons were on duty in the first hospital that day. |
B.Because the author wanted his son to stay in a hospital nearer her home. |
C.Because no surgeons in the first hospital knew the injuries to the author’s son. |
D.Because no surgeons in the first hospital could do surgery on the author’s son. |
When the author finally saw her son, she could hardly recognize him probably because his
face_____________.
A.was seriously injured |
B.was filled with small pipes |
C.was too pale to be recognized |
D.was covered by a piece of cloth |
On the third day after being taken to the hospital, _____________.
A.the author’s son finally opened his eyes. |
B.the situation of the author’s son suddenly worsened |
C.the author’s son was finally out of danger |
D.the author’s son did not need any more surgery |
After the accident, what did the author probably learn?
A.Life is full of “if onlys”. |
B.Being a single mother is not easy. |
C.Children are more important than work. |
D.Accidents can happen to every kid. |
Our grand China tour will show you a different China !
But you are required to present a U.S. Passport as an American when entering China. For some important information on how to apply for a passport, see the following forms.What is most probably talked about before this passage?
A.International travel information. |
B.An introduction to a journey to China. |
C.The great changes happening in China. |
D.Matters needed to be dealt with before going to China. |
You can apply for a U.S. passport by mail if you ____.
A.have never had a U.S. passport before |
B.got your most recent U.S. passport 17 years ago |
C.were 17 when you received your previous passport |
D.changed your name after getting your passport last time |
Before submitting Form DS-11, you should____.
A.fill in all information on the form |
B.print the form on both sides of the paper |
C.fill the form in either black or blue ink |
D.make an appointment with a Passport Agency |
If you don’t fill Form DS-11 clearly, ____.
A.you must get another form from your local Passport Agency and refill it |
B.you should ask for advice from Tips for Americans Traveling Abroad |
C.you may get a late reply from a Passport Agency |
D.you must hand it in and explain it personally |
Children, especially boys, tend to idealise their fathers when they are young.Every little boy wants to grow up to be just like his father, and every little girl thinks her father is the smartest man on the earth. It’s not very easy to be a good father, but it’s not that difficult either. Children will truly enjoy spending time with their fathers, not just when they are kids, but even when they are adults.
Not all children communicate well with their fathers. Communication is often left to mothers, while fathers dispense advice as and when necessary. Don’t expect all conversations to centre around the dinner table. Go to your children’s bedrooms and talk to them about school, their teachers or their friends. Remember that the conversation cannot be one-sided. When your children open up to you, you also need to open up to them.
If your children come home from school feeling upset, go up to them and ask them what is the matter. And if it is something which seems to you to be a silly reason to be upset, don’t voice your opinion. It may be silly to you, but to your children it is important enough. So don’t wave the topic away by telling them not to bother about such stupid things. Simply discussing their problems with them will help them feel better.
Don’t shy away from having discussions about your teenage children’s love lives. Generally speaking, your children are definitely not going to discuss intimate details with you. Try to let them know that you are relaxed about topics on love. Tell your children how you met your wife. It is perfectly normal for children to go through feelings for the opposite sex as they grow up, and by keeping the topic closed for discussion, you are only shutting them off from discussing their feelings with you. All they will do is turn to their friends.To children their fathers are usually very ______.
A.important | B.great | C.serious | D.strong |
From the second paragraph we can know that ______.
A.some children don’t like their fathers at all |
B.talking with children around the dinner table is bad |
C.it is better for mothers to communicate with their children |
D.mothers usually communicate better with their children. |
Suppose your children are worried about something you should _____.
A.have a talk with them | B.express your option |
C.keep silent | D.let them alone |
Your children would not like to discuss their love lives with you probably
because they think__________.
A.you are relaxed about topics on love |
B.they should ask for help from their friends |
C.they have already grown up |
D.it is not normal to experience feelings of love |
In the past, people who graduated from college felt proud of their academic(学业的) achievements and felt confident that their degree would help them to find a good job.
However, in the past four years the job market has changed greatly. This year’s college graduates are facing one of the worst job markets. For example, Ryan Stewart, a graduate of San Jose State University, got a degree in religious studies, but no job prospects. He points out that many people already working are getting laid off and don’t have jobs, so it’s even harder for new college graduates to find jobs.
Four years ago, the future looked bright for the class of 2006. There were many high-tech job chances. Graduates received many job offers, and they were able to get jobs with high salaries and benefits such as insurance(保险) and paid vacations. However, "Times have changed and it's a new market," according to an officer of the San Jose State Career Center.
The officer says students who do find jobs started preparing two years ago. They worked during summer vacations, they have had several short-time jobs, and they’ve majored in one of the few fields that are still hot, like chemical engineering, accounting, or nursing, where average starting salaries have actually increased over last year. Other popular fields (like information system management, computer science, and political science) have seen big declines(下降) in starting salaries.
Ryan Stewart (he had hoped to become a teacher) may go back to school in order to become a college teacher. He thinks college teaching could be a good career even in a bad economy.
In conclusion, these days a degree may not be a ticket to instant wealth for some students. For now, they can only hope the value of their degree will increase over time.The underlined word in the second paragraph probably means _____.
A.skills | B.interests | C.chances | D.ideas |
Which of the following majors has the best job offers?
A.teaching | B.accounting |
C.political science | D.computer science |
The underlined sentence in the last paragraph means ____________.
A.the best way to get rich is not to get a college degree |
B.most students with degrees will not be able to find jobs |
C.having a college degree does not mean that one has money for travelling |
D.a college degree does not mean that one will find a well-paid job |
The main idea of the passage is that _________.
A.a lot of graduates are losing their jobs |
B.Ryan Stewart has been able to find a job |
C.salaries in some fields have increased in the past year |
D.the job market has changed greatly over the past four years |
Lots of students shop to reduce stress or just to kill time with their friends. Shopping to get rid of boredom or to escape from life’s pressures may lead to serious problems. When you start to shop out of control, you become a shopping addict.
Shopping addicts show signs that are similar to other addicts. Some students think that shopping, even as little as buying gifts for classmates, can make them feel better and forget their problems. Actually, it can make them feel worse, guilty, or even cause them to run into financial difficulties. Finding yourself in a financial struggle or deep in debt may harm your relationships with friends and parents.
Do you go shopping for just a few things and come home with your wallet empty? Do you always go shopping after an emotional trauma or when life feels tough(艰难的)? Do you regret later what you buy? Or do you buy things that you never use? Maybe your parents or friends have expressed disagreement that leads you to hide items or lie about prices.
Avoid any environment that may make you want to spend money. Never use credit cards. Form some other meaningful and beneficial hobbies. Exercise, yoga and hot baths generally may help you not want to shop. Take a drive through the country where there aren’t any stores. Have patience with yourself and your money, which can benefit you for the rest of your life.
According to the passage, shopping addicts ______.
A.are always rich people | B.get well along with friends |
C.may suffer financial difficulties | D.all the above |
The third paragraph mainly tells about ______.
A.ways to get rid of shopping addiction |
B.the signs of shopping addicts |
C.the danger of shopping addiction |
D.why shopping addicts can’t stop shopping |
The underlined word “trauma” probably means “______”.
A.hurt | B.satisfaction | C.enjoyment | D.appreciation |
Hi! Have you ever suddenly felt that someone you knew was in trouble — and was he? Have you ever dreamed something that came true later? Maybe you have ESP (超感觉知觉).
ESP stands for Extrasensory Perception. It may be called a sixth sense. It seems to let people know about events before they happen, or events that are happening some distance away.
Here's an example. A woman was ironing clothes. Suddenly she screamed, "My father is dead! I saw him sitting in the chair!" Just then, a telegram came. The woman's father died of a heart attack. He died sitting in a chair.
There are thousands of stories like this one on record. Scientists are studying them to find out what's behind these strange mental messages. Here's another example—one of hundreds of dreams that have come true.
A man dreamed he was walking along a road when a horse and carriage came by. The driver said, "There's room for one more." The man felt the driver seemed dead, so he ran away. The next day, when the man was getting on a crowded bus, the bus driver said, "There's room for one more."
Then the man saw that the driver's face was the same face he had seen in the dream. He wouldn't get on the bus. As the bus drove off, it crashed and burst into flames. Everyone was killed!
Some people say stories like these are coincidences. Others, including some scientists, say that ESP is real. From studies of ESP, we may someday learn more about the human mind.According to the passage, the author believes that the sixth sense is ________.
A.in existence | B.imaginative | C.not real | D.impossible |
ESP lets people know _________.
A.about events before they happen |
B.about events after they happen |
C.about events that are happening some distance away |
D.A and C |
By studying ESP, scientists may get to ________.
A.learn how people tell lies | B.know more about human dreams |
C.know more about human mind | D.learn how strange things happen |
In the last paragraph the underlined word "coincidences" probably means _______.
A.things that may not happen | B.things that happen in a dream |
C.things that must happen | D.things that happen by accident |