I had the meanest mother in the whole world. While other kids ate candy for breakfast, I had to have cereal, eggs or toast. While others had Cokes and candy for lunch, I had to eat a sandwich. As you can guess, my supper was different from the other kids’ too. But at least, I wasn’t alone in my sufferings. My sister and two brothers had the same mean mother as I did.
My mother insisted upon knowing where we were at all times. She had to know who our friends were and where we were going. She insisted if we said we’d be gone an hour, then we should be gone one hour or less -- not one hour and one minute. And she always insisted upon us telling the truth. Now you can see how mean she was.
The worst is yet to come. We had to be in bed by nine each night and up at eight the next morning. We couldn’t sleep till noon like our friends. So while they slept - my mother actually had the courage to break the Child Labor Law. She made us work. We had to wash dishes, make beds, and learn to cook. We had to wear clean clothes and take a bath every day. The other kids always wore their clothes for days. We reached the height of disgrace because she made our clothes herself, just to save money. I believe she laid awake at night thinking up mean things to do to us.
Through the years, things didn’t improve a bit. We could not lie in bed “sick” like our friends did, and miss school. Our marks in school had to live up to expectations. Our friends’ report cards had beautiful colors on them, black for passing, red for failing. My mother, being as different as she was, would be satisfied with nothing less than ugly black marks.
As the years rolled by, first one and then the other of us was put to shame. We graduated from high school. With our mother behind us, talking, hitting and demanding respect, none of us was allowed the pleasure of being a drop-out.
My mother was a complete failure as a mother. Out of four children, a couple of us attained some higher education. None of us have ever been arrested or divorced. Each of my brothers served his time in the service of this country. She forced us to grow up into God-fearing, educated, honest adults. I am now trying to raise my three children. I am filled with pride when my children call me mean. Why? Because now I thank God every day for giving me the meanest mother in the whole world.The author’s mother wanted her children to _________.
A.do their best at school and be educated and respected citizens |
B.be top students in school and graduate with honors |
C.stop seeing her friends who pretended to be sick to skip classes |
D.bring home colored report cards like her friends did |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the text?
A.The author has a deep hatred for her mother. |
B.The author’s mother set timetables for her children whenever they went out. |
C.Some of the children weren’t able to go to college because of their mean mother. |
D.As a parent, the author is following her mother’s example. |
It can be inferred from the passage that________.
A.All the other kids at school studied better than the author. |
B.The author worked hard and usually got good grades in studies. |
C.Mother was punished for breaking the Labor Law. |
D.The author’s family lived a miserable life. |
I went online to check if my pay was in my bank account. To my amazement I discovered that not only had I been paid, a company I’d never worked for had also paid me! I knew I’d have been beside myself if my own salary was not in my account, so I tried to get the money back to the right person. Easier said than done.
The bank couldn’t help as it wasn’t a bank problem. The human resources department at the company that paid me was unable to help as I didn’t have enough details. I rang the bank again. Thankfully I had a sympathetic call operator who gave me a name, so I again rang the company “Daniel”worked for.
I expected the bank would contact me to arrange to take the money from my account and repay Daniel. I heard nothing for a month and the money remained in my account when Daniel called, explaining he’d tried to get back his money but had been unsuccessful as neither the bank nor his company felt it was their error. He had rung to ask if I could speak to the bank, but after chatting for a few minutes we realized we could probably fix this problem ourselves.
We decided I would take the money from my account and he would pick it up from me. Due to my busy job I was unable to meet Daniel personally but he left me a lovely bottle of wine in exchange for what was rightfully his. I never had any intention of keeping Daniel’s pay but red tape(繁琐手续) made it difficult to do the right thing. It all came down to two people being able to do what a huge bank and a large company couldn’t do--admit a mistake has occurred and fix it.What was the attitude of the author towards the extra money in his bank account?
A.He didn’t know what to do with it. |
B.He felt lucky to get it. |
C.He thought of keeping it for himself. |
D.He wanted to return it to the right person. |
The underlined phrase beside myself(inParagraph1) probably means___________.
A.very fortunate | B.very angry |
C.really thankful | D.at ease |
How was the problem solved in the end?
A.The author and Daniel solved the problem themselves. |
B.It cost Daniel a lovely bottle of wine to get back his money. |
C.The author gave the money back to the company. |
D.The call operator offered to solve their problem. |
From the passage we can infer that___________.
A.the bank could solve the problem soon and easily with the red tape |
B.some large organizations usually have troublesome official rules |
C.Daniel didn’t know the error before he contacted the author |
D.the company gave the wrong account to the bank |
In the summer of 1980 a Spanish tourist, Gaspar Carner, went to Great Britain on holiday. When he was travelling in Scotland, he decided to visit Loch Ness, the famous lake where people say there is a monster. But while he was going across the lake in a boat, his bag fell into the water. In the bag were his passport, car keys, pen, and all his money. Loch Ness is 150 metres deep, so he didn't expect to see the bag again!
Fourteen years later, in 1994, some scientists decided to explore the lake. They looked for the Loch Ness monster. Suddenly one of them saw something black in the water. They carefully went nearer. They thought the black thing was the monster. They went nearer and nearer. It was a bag. They took the bag out of the lake. They found that the photo on the passport was still clear. One of the scientists happened to be familiar with Gaspar Carner. So the bag was returned to him.The reason why the lake is famous is that __________.
A.it's very deep | B.there may be a monster |
C.there's a bag in it | D.it's in Scotland |
What's in Carner's bag?
A.A monster. | B.Many useful things. |
C.Something black. | D.Some photos. |
How did the explorers know the bag was Carner's?
A.Carner recognized the bag |
B.They expected it was the monster |
C.Carner was very famous |
D.One of the explorers knew Carner |
Come on! All of us are cutting math. Who wants to take that quiz? We’re going to take a walk and get lunch instead. Let’s go!” says the coolest kid in your class. Do you do what you know is right and go to math class, take the quiz? Or do you give in and go with them?
People who are at your age, like your classmates, are called peers. When they try to influence you how to act, to get you to do something, it’s called peer pressure. It’s something everyone has to deal with—even adults.
Peers influence your life, even if you don’t realize it, just by spending time with you. You learn from them, and they learn from you. It’s only human nature to listen to and learn from other people in your age group.
Peers can have a positive influence on each other. Maybe another student in your science class taught you an easy way to remember the planets in the solar system. Or you got others excited about your new favorite book, and now everyone is reading it. Sometimes peers influence each other in negative ways. For example, a few kids in school might try to get you to cut class with them.
It’s difficult to say “no” to peer pressure, but you can do it. Paying attention to your own feelings and beliefs about what is right and wrong can help you know the right thing to do.
It can really help to have at least one other peer, or friend, who is willing to say “no” too. If you continue to face peer pressure and you’re finding it difficult to handle, talk to someone you trust, a parent, or a teacher. They can help you feel much better and prepare you for the next time you face peer pressure.With his words in the first paragraph, the kid is ________.
A.planning some interesting activities after school |
B.talking about a dinner party |
C.asking other kids to take a quiz with him |
D.encouraging other kids to cut a class |
According to the author, _________.
A.peer pressure does kids more harm than good |
B.math is the most difficult subject for most kids |
C.kids today are under greater pressure than before |
D.peer pressure exists among people of all age groups |
What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 3 refer to?
A.Peer pressure. | B.Your time. |
C.Your life. | D.Human nature. |
It’s suggested in the last paragraph that the readers _______.
A.make more close friends while at school |
B.learn to refuse their friends in a polite way |
C.get support from someone else if it’s necessary |
D.build closer relations with their parents and teachers |
What’s the best title for the text?
A.Cutting a class | B.Peer pressure |
C.Asking for help | D.Problems in school |
About nine million people like rock climbing in America. Millions more take part in the activity around the world. Some do it just for fun. Others compete.
Climbing takes strength, control and good balance. Climbers have to pull themselves straight up the face of very high rocks or walls. So they have to be strong enough to carry their own weight. And climbers sometimes have to hold onto rocks by only their fingers or toes.
There are several kinds of rock climbing. Traditional rock climbing is done outside. Climbers wear ropes and tie equipment to the rocks as they climb many hundreds of meters up. They also connect their ropes to the equipment. If a climber slips, a rope can stop him from falling.
Sport climbing is similar. However, in it the protective equipment is placed in the rock all the time. There is also indoor climbing. Rock walls made of wood have places for the climber’s hands and feet.
Ice climbing is exactly as it sounds. People climb glaciers or frozen waterfalls instead of rocks. They use special equipment for the ice.
And then there is bouldering-climbing rocks (巨石攀岩) between three and seven meters high. It is quicker and stronger climbing. Many climbers like bouldering because they can use less equipment. Climbers often need only special shoes and chalk (防滑粉). All climbers use chalk to keep their hands dry.
Most rocks have cracks and holes and parts that stick out. Climbers use these for foot-holds and handholds. Climbers use their legs to climb. They try not to pull themselves up with their hands or arms. Arms and hands are for position and balance.
People almost always climb in groups of two or more. Climbing alone is very dangerous. Expert rock climbers say only the very best in the sport should do it.The writer mentions the numbers in Paragraph 1 in order to show that _________.
A.people do rock climbing just for fun |
B.rock climbing is popular around the world |
C.people around the world like the same thing |
D.Americans like all sports |
We can learn for the Paragraph 2 that________.
A.a person must take some food for rock climbing |
B.rock climbing is more dangerous than people think |
C.rock climbing takes place outside |
D.rock climbing is not for everyone |
What’s the feature of traditional rock climbing?
A.It is very safe. | B.It is done alone. |
C.It is done outside. | D.It needs no equipment. |
According to the passage, people like bouldering because______.
A.it is simpler than other kinds |
B.they can try special equipment |
C.they only have to climb several meters high |
D.they can do it indoors |
Which of the following is TRUE about rock climbing?
A.Climbers use their hands or arms to climb. |
B.Climbers use no special equipment for ice climbing. |
C.Climbers do rock climbing in groups. |
D.Climbers do rock climbing without ropes |
We walked in the hospital so quietly that the nurse at the desk didn't even lift her eyes from the book. Mum pointed at a big chair by the door and I knew she wanted me to sit down. While I watched mouth open in surprise, Mum took off her hat and coat and gave them to me to hold. She walked quietly to the small room by the lift and took out a wet mop. She pushed the mop past the desk and as the nurse looked up, Mum nodded and said, "Very dirty floors."
"Yes, I'm glad they've finally decided to clean them," the nurse answered. She looked at Mum strangely and said, "But aren't you working late?"
Mum just pushed harder, each swipe (拖一下) of the mop taking her farther and farther down the hall. I watched until she was out of sight and the nurse had turned back to writing in the big book.
After a long time Mum came back. Her eyes were shining. She quickly put the mop back and took my hand. As we turned to go out of the door, Mum bowed politely to the nurse and said, "Thank you."
Outside, Mum told me, "Dagmar is fine. No fever. "
"You saw her, Mum?"
"Of course. I told her about the hospital rules, and she will not expect us until tomorrow. Dad will stop worrying as well. It's a fine hospital. But such floors! A mop is no good. You need a brush."When she took a mop from the small room what Mum really wanted to do was______.
A.to clean the floor |
B.to please the nurse |
C.to see a patient |
D.to surprise the story-teller |
When the nurse talked to Mum she thought Mum was a______.
A.nurse | B.visitor |
C.patient | D.cleaner |
After reading the story what can we infer about the hospital?
A.It is a children's hospital. |
B.It has strict rules about visiting hours. |
C.The conditions there aren't very good. |
D.The nurses and doctors there don't work hard. |
From the text we know that Dagmar is most likely________.
A.the story-teller's sister |
B.Mum's friend |
C.the story-teller's classmate |
D.Dad's boss |
Which of the following words best describes Mum?
A.strange | B.warm-hearted |
C.clever | D.hard-working |