My father had always been an alert observer of human character. Within seconds of meeting someone, he could sum up their strengths and weaknesses. It was always a challenge to see if any of my boyfriends could pass Dad’s test. None did. Dad was always right—they didn’t pass my test either. After Dad died, I wondered how I’d figure it out on my own.
That’s when Jack arrived on the scene. He was different from any other guy I’d dated. He could sit for hours on the piano bench with my mother, discussing some composers. My brother Rick loudly announced that Jack wasn’t a turkey like the other guys I’d brought home. Jack passed my family’s test. But what about Dad’s?
Then came my mother’s birthday. The day he was supposed to drive, I got a call. “Don’t worry,” he said, “but I’ve been in an accident. I’m fine, but I need you to pick me up.”
When I got there, we rushed to a flower shop for something for Mom. “How about gardenias（栀子花）?” Jack said, pointing at a beautiful white corsage (胸花). The florist put the corsage in a box.
The entire ride, Jack was unusually quiet. “Are you all right?” I asked. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking,” he said. “I might be moving.” Moving? Then he added, “Moving in with you.” I nearly put the car on the sidewalk. “What?” I asked. “I think we should get married,” he said. He told me he’d planned his proposal in a fancy restaurant, but after the accident, he decided to do it right away. “Yes,” I whispered. We both sat dumbfounded, tears running down our cheeks. I’d never known such a tender moment. If only Dad were here to give his final approval.
“Oh, let’s just go inside.” Jack laughed. My mother opened the door. “Happy Birthday!” we shouted. Jack handed the box to her. She opened it up. Suddenly, her eyes were filled with tears. “Mom, what’s wrong?” I asked. “I’m sorry,” she said, wiping her eyes. “This is only the second gardenia corsage I’ve ever received. I was given one years ago, long before you kids were born.” “From who?” I asked. “Your father,” Mom said. “He gave me one right before we were engaged.” My eyes locked on Jack’s as I blinked away(眨掉) tears. Dad’s test? I knew Jack had passed. According to the text, we know the writer’s father was __________.
| A．interested in observing things around |
| B．good at judging one’s character |
| C．strict with her boyfriend |
| D．fond of challenges |
What is the main idea of Paragraph 2?
| A．Jack got the family’s approval except Dad’s. |
| B．Jack was different from any other boy. |
| C．Jack was getting on well with Mother. |
| D．Jack knew a lot about piano. |
The underlined word “proposal” in Paragraph 5 means __________.
| A．piece of advice | B．wedding ceremony |
| C．celebration of birthday | D．offer of marriage |
On hearing “moving in with you”, the writer felt __________.
| A．pleased | B．worried |
| C．surprised | D．disappointed |
Why did the writer’s mother cry?
| A．The gift was the same as the one her husband gave her. |
| B．She had never received such a beautiful gift. |
| C．Her daughter found her life partner at last. |
| D．The gardenia corsage was too expensive. |
Night after night，she came to tuck me in，even long after my childhood years．Following her longstanding custom，she'd lean down and push my long．hair out of the way，then kiss my fore—head．
I don't remember when it first started annoying me—her hands pushing my hair that way． But it did annoy me，for they felt work—worn and mush against my young skin．Finally，one night，I shouted out at her，"Don't do that any more--your hands are too rough!" She didn't say anything in reply．But never again did my mother close out my day with that familiar expression of her love．
Time after time，with the passing years，my thoughts returned to that night．By then I missed my mother's hands．missed her goodnight kiss on my forehead．Sometimes the incident seemed very close，sometimes far away．But always it lurked，in the back of my mind．
Well，the years have passed，and I'm not a little girl anymore．Mom is in her mid—seventies．and those hands I once thought to be so rough are still doing things for me and my family．She's been our doctor，reaching into a medicine cabinet(医药箱)for the remedy(药物)to calm a young girl's stomach or soothe(安慰)the boy's scraped knee．She cooks the best fried chicken in the world…gets stains out of blue cans, like I never could…
Now, my own children are grown and gone．Mom no longer has Dad，and on special occasions．I find myself drawn next door to spend the night with her．So it was late on Thanksgiving Eve, as I slept in the bedroom of my youth, a familiar hand hesitantly run across, my face to brush the hair from my forehead．Then a kiss，ever so gently，touched my brow(额头)．
In my memory，for the thousandth time，I recalled the night my young voice complained，"Don't do that any more--your hands are too rough!" Catching Mom's hand in hand，I blurted (冲口说出)out how sorry I was for that night．I thought she'd remember ，as I did．But Mom didn't know what I Was talking about．She had forgotten--and forgiven—long ago．
That night, I fell asleep with a new appreciation for my gentle mother and her carrying hands. And the guilt that I had carried around for so long was nowhere to be found．What would be the best title for the text?
| A．Mother's Hands | B．Appreciation for Mother． |
| C．My Childhood Years． | D．My Unselfish Mother． |
The author began to get annoyed because .
| A．her mother's hands were really old and tough |
| B．she thought she didn't need her mother's care |
| C．she didn't like her mother any more |
| D．her mother stayed in her room too long |
What do we know about the author?
| A．With time passing, she began to understand her mother． |
| B．She was an only child in the family． |
| C．She never forgave herself． |
| D．Her mother was a doctor． |
By saying "Then a kiss，ever so gently，touched my brow．"，the author means that________
| A．children need Mother's kissing | B．mothers kiss their children gently |
| C．mothers love their children forever | D．children depend on their mothers |
It can be inferred from the text that _____________
| A．the author began to spend nights with her mother |
| B．her mother never kissed author again |
| C．her mother forgave her at last |
| D．the author felt guilty of what she did to her mother |
TODAY, Friday, November 12
JAZZ with the Mike Thomas Jazz Band at The Derby Arms. Upper Richmond Road West, Sheen.
DISCO Satin Sounds Disco. Free at The Lord Napier, Mort lake High St., from 8a. m. to 8p. m. Tel: 682—1158.
SATURDAY, November 13
JAZZ Lysis at The Bull’s Head, Barnes. Admission 60p.
MUSICAL HALL at The Star and Garter, Lower Richmond Road, Putney, provided by the Aba Daba Music Hall company. Good food and entertainment fair price. Tel: 789—6749.
FAMILY night out? Join the sing-along at The Black Horse. Sheen Road, Richmond.
JAZZ The John Bennett Big Band at The Bull’s Head, Barnes. Admission 80p.
THE DERBY ARMS, Upper Richmond Road West, give you Joe on the electric accordion(手风琴). Tel: 789—4536
SUNDAY, November 14
DISCO Satin Sounds Disco, free at The Lord Napier, Mort Lake High Street, from 8 a. m. to 8 p. m.
FOLK MUSIC at The Derby Arms. The Short Stuff and residents the Norman Chop Trio. Non-remembers 70p. Tel: 688—4626.
HEAVY MUSIC with Tony Simon at The Bull, Upper Richmond Road West, East Sheen.
THE DERBY ARMS, Upper Richmond Road West, give you Joe on the electric accordion. Where and when can you hear the Mike Thomas Jazz Band?
| A．At the Derby Arms on Friday. | B．At the Black Horse on Friday. |
| C．At the Star and Garter on Saturday. | D．At the Derby Arms on Sunday. |
You want to enjoy the electric accordion on Saturday. Which telephone number do you have to ring to find out what time it starts?
| A．789—6749. | B．789—4536. | C．682—1158. | D．688—4626. |
You want to spend the Saturday by joining the entertainment with your family. Where should you go?
| A．Disco at The Lord Napier. | B．The sing-along at The Black Horse. |
| C．The electric accordion at The Derby Arms. | D．Jazz at The Bull’s Head. |
You want to spend the same day at two different places and don’t want to cross any street. Which of the following is your best choice?
| A．The sing-along at the Black Horse and Jazz at The Bull’s Head. |
| B．The sing-along at The Black Horse and Folk Music at The Derby Arms. |
| C．Folk Music at The Derby Arms and Heavy Music with Tony Simon at The Bull. |
| D．Musical Hal lat The Star ＆Garter and Disco at The Lord Napier. |
Too much TV-watching can harm children’s ability to learn and even reduce their chances of getting a college degree, new studies suggest in the latest effort to examine the effects of television on children.
One of the studies looked at nearly 400 northern California third-graders. Those with TVs in their bedrooms scored about eight points lower on math and language arts tests than children without bedroom TVs.
A second study ,looking at nearly 1000 grown-ups in New Zealand, found lower education levels among 26-year –olds who had watched lots of TV during childhood .But the results don’t prove that TV is the cause and don't ride out that already poorly motivated youngsters(年轻人）may watch lots of TV.
Their study measured the TV habits of 26-year-olds between ages 5 and 15. These with college degrees had watched an average of less than two hours of TV per weeknight during childhood, compared with an average of more than 2 1/2 hours for those who had no education beyond high school
In the California study, children with TVs in their rooms but no computer at home scored the lowest while those with no bedroom TV but who had home computers scored the highest
While this study does not prove that bedroom TV sets caused the lower scores, it adds to accumulating findings that children shouldn't have TVs in their bedroomsAccording to the California study, the low-scoring group might .
| A．have watched a lot of TV | B．not be interested in math |
| C．be unable to go to college | D．have had computers in their bedrooms |
What can we learn from the last two paragraphs?
| A．More time should be spent on computers. |
| B．Children should be forbidden from watching TV. |
| C．TV sets shouldn't be allowed in children's bedrooms. |
| D．Further studies on high-achieving students should be done. |
What would be the best title for the text?
| A．Computers or Television. |
| B．Effects of Television on Children. |
| C．Studies on TV and College Education. |
| D．Television and Children's Learning Habits |
Have you ever noticed advertisements which say “Learn a foreign language in 6 weeks, or your money back! From the first day your pronunciation will be excellent. Just send…” and so on? Of course, it never happens quite like that. The only language that is easy to learn is one’s mother tongue. And think how much practice that gets! Before the Second World War people usually learnt a foreign language in order to read the literature of the country.
Now speaking a foreign language is what most people want. Every year millions of people start learning one. How do they do it? Some people try at home, with books and records of tapes; some use radio or television programs; some use computers and network; others go to evening classes. If they use the language only 2 or 3 times a week, learning it will take a long time, like learning a foreign language at school. A few people try to learn a language fast by studying for 6 or more hours a day. It is clearly easier to learn the language in the country where it is spoken.
However, most people cannot afford this, and for many it is not necessary. They need the language in order to do their work better. For example, scientists and doctors chiefly need to be able to read books and reports in the foreign language. Whether the language is learnt quickly or slowly, it is hard work. Machines and good books will help, but they cannot do the student’s work for him.According to some advertisements, you ______ .
| A．have to pay your money if you cannot master a foreign language in 6 weeks. |
| B．needn’t pay you money if you cannot learn a foreign language in 6 weeks |
| C．must pay your money if you cannot master a foreign language in 6 weeks |
| D．will be paid much money if you cannot learn a foreign language in 6 weeks |
Now most people try to learn a foreign language in order to ______.
| A．read the literature of the country | B．read books and reports |
| C．do their work better | D．go to foreign countries |
Learning a foreign language is a hard job ______.
| A．only for scientists and doctors | B．only for the students at school |
| C．for those people at home | D．for most people |
根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
I worked for a short time as a cashier（出纳员）at a restaurant a few months ago. 71 One night, just before Christmas, I found a large black wallet on the floor near one of the tables. I guess I should have checked it to find out who was the owner, but I was busy at the time. Also, I imagined that if the wallet contained anything valuable, the owner would be back.
An hour later a man came up to the counter（柜台）. 72 I asked him to describe the lost wallet, and after he described it exactly, I gave him the wallet. He expressed his sincere thanks when I handed it to him. He asked me if I had opened it, and when I told him “ No”, he opened it right away and showed that it contained nearly $800 in cash (现金). 73
“A reward for your honesty,” he said and then turned and walked away.
74 I began wondering whether I would have been so honest if I had known what was in the wallet! I thought that if there had been no way to find the owner and no one had returned to claim（认领）it, I might have kept it. But it also came into my mind that I had in fact saved someone’s Christmas plans by finding and returning the wallet. 75 The good feeling it gave me was worth more than anything money could buy.
| A．He looked quite worried and asked if anyone had found a wallet. |
| B．Later I thought about it again. |
| C．To my surprise, he took out a twenty–dollar bill and handed it to me. |
| D．So I didn’t return the wallet until the owner returned. |
E. I wanted to be honest, so I didn’t care much about money.
F. I also helped clear off the tables when it was especially busy.
G. For quite a long time I kept happy whenever I thought about it.