One Sunday, my family had gathered at my parents’ house to feast upon Mom’s wonderful cooking. During the normal dinner chatter (闲聊), I noticed that my father was slurring (说话含混) his words. No one mentioned this during dinner, but I felt compelled to discuss it with my mother afterward.
We decided that there was something seriously wrong and that Dad needed to see the doctor.
Mom phoned me two days later. “The doctor found a brain tumor (肿瘤). It’s too large at this point to operate. Maybe they can do something then, but the odds are long.”
Even with the treatment, my father’s condition worsened, and the doctor finally informed us that this condition was terminal (晚期的). During one of his stays in the hospital, we brought our baby daughter Chelsey with us when we visited him. By this time he had great difficulty speaking. I finally figured out that he wanted Chelsey to sit on his stomach so he could make faces at her.
Watching the two of them together, I realized I was living an experience that would stay with me forever. Though grateful for the times they could share, I couldn’t shake the feeling of a clock ticking in the background.
On the visit to my parents’ home during what we all know was my father’s last days, my mother took Chelsey from my arms and announced, “Your father would like to see you alone for a minute.”
I entered the bedroom where my father lay on a rented hospital bed. He appeared even weaker than the day before.
“How are you feeling, Dad?” I asked. “Can I do anything for you?”
He tried to speak, but he couldn’t make out a word.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t understand you,” I said.
With great difficulty he said, “I love you.”
We don’t learn courage from heroes on the evening news. We learn true courage from watching ordinary people rise above hopeless situations. In many ways my father was a strict, uncommunicative man. He found it difficult to show emotion. The bravest thing I ever saw him do was overcome that barrier to open his heart to his son and family at the end of his life.Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．The writer accompanied his father to a medical examination. |
| B．The writer’s father got worse after the removal of the brain tumor. |
| C．The writer was quick to notice the strange condition of his father. |
| D．The writer’s father had known about his illness before the writer discovered it. |
What does the underlined sentence “the odds are long” mean?
| A．There’s little possibility for Father to recover. |
| B．It takes a long time for Father to recover. |
| C．Father needs love and care from his family. |
| D．They need a proper time to operate on Father. |
The father had never said “I love you” to the writer before because ________.
| A．he believed in strictness and punishment |
| B．he was not so attached to the writer |
| C．he thought there was no need to tell the writer |
| D．he was not used to openly showing his emotions |
What does the writer attempt to tell us?
| A．We don’t often value health until we lose it. |
| B．Don’t wait to see a doctor till it is too late. |
| C．Life is short, so live your life to the fullest. |
| D．Bravely express your love for your family. |
Katharine Houghton Hepburn was born in Hartford in 1907. The Hepburns made sure to educate their children about important political and social subjects and sports. She rode horses, swam and played golf and tennis.
Katharine graduated from Bryn Mawr College in 1928. She soon started appearing in small roles in plays. After a few successful plays, Hollywood filmmakers became interested in her. She later signed with RKO Pictures. Her first movie came out in 1932.
The next year she acted in the film Morning Glory. This gave her the chance to let her acting skills shine. This movie earned Hepburn her first Academy Award for Best Actress.
During the 1930s, critics(评论家) either loved or hated Katharine Hepburn. But Hepburn wanted to face the movie industry in her own way. She did not want to be like other actresses. She did not wear make-up on her face. She would not let photographers take sexy pictures of her.
By the late 1930s, she had become unpopular with the public. But Hepburn was not raised to quit easily. She starred in The Philadelphia Story in 1940. For this movie, Hepburn received another Academy Award nomination(提名) for Best Actress. She had taken control of her career once again.
In 1967, she starred in her last movie with Spencer Tracy. For this movie, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, she won her second Academy Award. She won her third Academy Award the next year for A Lion in Winter. And, in her mid-seventies she won her last Academy Award for On Golden Pond.
Even into her eighties, she kept working. She also wrote several books. In 2003, Katharine Hepburn died.
As part of her last wishes, she helped create the Katharine Houghton Hepburn Center to help support the things that were important to her: film and theater, women’s right, and civic(国民的) responsibility.
1. What do we learn about Katharine Hepburn from the passage?
A. As a little girl, she showed a gift for acting.
B. She was well educated when she was young.
C. She stopped working in her mid-seventies.
D. Her small roles in plays were not good for her movie career.
2. The following movies all won Katharine Hepburn an Academy Award for Best Actress EXCEPT_______.
A. Morning Glory B. A Lion in Winter
C. The Philadelphia Story D. Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner
3. Which of the following words can best describe Katharine Hepburn?
A. Humorous but mean. B. Independent and successful.
C. Beautiful but unpopular. D. Strict and inexperienced.
4. The passage is developed by______.
A. space orderB. comparison C. time orderD. listening examples
Public transportation is a great method of decreasing(减少)pollution and traffic within an urban setting. However, as with any public setting, it is important to take safety measures to avoid any unpleasant situations.
Tips for staying safe on the bus, train or subway:
Report any unusual activities.
Report any broken or missing equipment.
Report any strange noises or smells.
If you see an unattended(无人看管的)package, do not touch it, and immediately report it to the nearest employee.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. This will decrease your chance of getting sick or spreading germs(细菌).
While on public transportation the most important safety measure to take is simply paying attention to your surroundings. By taking these steps you can have a better and more enjoyable experience while using the public bus, train or subway.
Safety measures and regulations(规章制度)
Sometimes stories of tragic public transportation are released(发布) through the media（媒体）. When this happens it is natural to question the safety of using public transportation. When the driving itself is out of your control, it is important to know what measures and regulations are put into place to keep you safe.
One of the greatest concerns for public transportation safety is the lack of safety belts. While accidents involving buses or trains is not common, when they do occur they are highly dangerous due to the lack of safety belts. Passengers are likely to be injured simply from being hit by another passenger.
Good drivers make safe passengers
With hundreds of thousands of public bus passengers every day, it is important that the drivers of these vehicles(车辆)are trained and experienced enough to manage the dangerous situations that can happen on the road. Bus and train drivers must meet the standards set by their state.
1. One advantage of public transportation is that __________________________.
A. it’s cheaper B. it saves more time
C. it has more safety measures D. it helps protect the environment
2. To keep safe on public transportation, you are advised to _____________.
A. repair any broken equipment if necessary
B. cover your nose with your hand to keep germs away
C. pay attention to any unusual activities and report them in time
D. take the package which nobody takes care of to the employee
3. We can know from the passage that ___________________________.
A. few reports are about public transportation accidents
B. passengers seldom get hurt in public transportation accidents
C. safety belts are useless for passengers on public transportation
D. it is important to know some safety measures for public transportation
4. What is important to make a good public transportation drivers?
A. Skills at handling traffic accidents
B. Higher standards and shorter working hours.
C. Polite service and clean working environment.
D. Proper training and rich driving experience.
Once a year we show our love for our fathers by celebrating(庆祝) Father’s Day. This is the time when you have the chance to show your dad how much you love him. On Father’s Day, children usually give gifts to their fathers and take them out for a nice meal. But when and how did Father’s Day get started?
Father’s Day was introduced in the early part of the 20th century. It was to show love for our fathers in the same way that people did to mothers on Mother’s Day. This tradition began in Spokane, Washington, from an idea of a woman named Sonora Smart Dodd.
Mrs Dodd was raised by her father after her mother died. Looking back on all the things that he did for the family made Mrs Dodd realize just how special her father was. She realized that her father was a very loving man who should be honored and praised for all the things that he did for his family. Since her father was born in the month of June, Mrs Dodd decided to celebrate Father’s Day on June 19th, so the first Father’s Day was held in June, 1910.
By the year 1926, a committee (委员会) was formed in New York City to honor Father’s Day, and in 1956, it was recognized as a day of celebration. President Nixon made Father’s Day a national holiday in the year 1972.This is when it was decided that it would always be celebrated on the third Sunday of every June.
1. What is the best title for this passage?
A. The history of Father’s Day. B. The story of Sonora Smart Dodd.
C. Something about Mother’s Day. D. How to show your love for your father.
2. According to Paragraph 1, what do children usually do on Father’s Day?
A. Spend the whole day with their fathers.
B. Say aloud that they love their fathers.
C. Cook something nice for their fathers.
D. Prepare gifts for their fathers.
3. We learn that Father’s Day _______.
A. started from a story made up by a woman
B. is celebrated on the first Sunday of every June
C. is surely only celebrated by children in America
D. started from a woman’s wish to honor and praise her father
4. Americans have been celebrating Father’s Day as a national holiday since_____.
A. 1910 B. 1926 C. 1956 D. 1972
第三部分阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
In the days when an ice cream sundae(圣代冰淇淋)cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress came to his table and put a glass of water in front of him. “Miss, how much is an ice cream sundae?” he asked. “Fifty cents,” replied the waitress. The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and counted(数) the coins in it.
“Okay then, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?” he asked. By now, more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient. “Thirty-five cents,” she replied rudely. The little boy again counted his coins. “I’ll have the plain ice cream,” he said.
The waitress brought the ice cream sundae, put the bill on the table, and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier, and left.
When the waitress came back to that table, she began to cry as she wiped(擦) it with the wash cloth. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish were fifteen cents.
You see, the little boy couldn’t have the sundae because he wanted to have enough coins to leave her a tip. The waitress regretted having treated the little boy like that. And from that, she learned that she should treat all her customers well.
1. Why didn’t the little boy have an ice cream sundae?
A. Because he didn’t have enough money for one.
B. Because he liked a plain dish of ice cream better.
C. Because he wanted to have enough coins to leave a tip.
D. Because he was told not to have such an expensive ice cream.
2. When the little boy ordered a plain dish of ice cream, the waitress looked ______.
A. happy B. surprised C. impatient D. ashamed
3. We infer that the waitress cried most probably because_____.
A. she had never received a tip before
B. she was touched by the little boy’s deed
C. she knew the little boy wouldn’t come back again
D. the boy was too generous
4. According to the last paragraph, what did the waitress regret?
A. Not having offered the little boy an ice cream sundae.
B. Not having asked the little boy for more money.
C. Not having treated everybody the same.
D. Not having treated the little boy well.
Cafe Hub
Near the Castle is The Hub, home of the Edinburgh International Festival and one of the most talked about spots in town. Our café is open every day for mouth-watering lunches, snacks and fine dining. Come in and enjoy the atmosphere of The Hub or watch the world go by from our beautiful house.
The Hub, Castlehill, Royal Mile, Edinburgh.
Open every day from 9:30 a.m. till late.
Tel:0131173 2067 www.thehub-edinburgh.com
Farm World
Enjoy being“A Farmer for a Day”. Join in delivering and feeding our spring babies—bottle feeding sessions twice daily. Fun for all family. Horse Rides, BMX Bikes Cross Country Course. Tractor Ride through 600 acres, New Adventure Playground, Nature Trails. Full details on website.
Open: May—Oct Wednesdays to Saturdays and daily during school holidays 11 a.m.—5 p.m.
Tel:01797 260256/260321 www.farmworldrye.co.uk
Enter the Europe-wide student competition!
Are you curious, creative and energetic? Are you interested in the new media? Are you between 12 and 9 years of age? Then Join Multimedia 2006 is for you!
Your challenge will be to build a team and develop a multimedia presentation in English-based on one of three different topics. You can register (报名) between May 1 and June 15, 2006 and will have to turn in your entry before September 15, 2006.
The rewards are wonderful: £ 150,000 in prize for schools and teams and the chance to attend a European student camp—plus new experiences, an opportunity to make friends throughout Europe!
For further information and registration forms go to: www.siemens.com/join. multimedia.
1.You’ll have to register first if you want____________.
A. to enjoy delicious food
B. to try Tractor Ride through 600 acres
C. to enter the Europe-wide student competition
D. to watch the world go by from the beautiful house
2.According to the passage, there will be_________rewards for the Europe-wide student competition.
A. only one B. two C. three D. four
3.You can visit Farm World_________.
A. on Monday in May B. any day in October
C. at 2 p.m. at Christmas D. at 10:30 a.m. during school holidays
4.From the advertisements above, we can learn that_________.
A. Cafe Hub is a popular place in the local area
B. families can enjoy Horse Rides on New Adventure Playground
C. Farm World provides lunches, snacks and fine dining
D. the Europe-wide student competition will be held on June 15,2006