I moved from Chicago to Brooklyn in July of 2010，just in time to watch my mother die. Our parents were both gone now； I took with me as many things they had left behind as I could.
I was out walking one Saturday later that summer when something caught my eye - a pale green dress. Laid out on the pavement was stuff like earrings, glass candle-holders, books. Hanging on the fence behind were a few pairs of jeans and a green cotton dress.
The woman, the host o£ the stoop (门廊）sale, looked like she was getting rid of a past she didn’t need or want. A dress that was too big for her. A chest of drawers that took up too much space, space she needed, maybe, to heal ，recover, or grow.
I wasn’t planning on buying anything really, but now I needed to show her that I appreciated her things and I would give them a safe home. Then I had my first stoop sale —I paid her 20 dollars for her green cotton dress and her blue candle-holder,
From that day on, I became interested in stoop sales. Some of my favorite things are from someone else’s life. I find no joy in shopping at regular stores any more. I love trying to sniff out a memory from a bud vase or a drawer. It is comforting to know that someone has breathed and laughed inside a sweater before me.
A few weeks ago, I carried my mother’s dresses to a friend’s stoop. These were her best items ，which were once worn by the most important person in my life. For many hours, I watched from across the path people advancing the stoop, some leaving with Mom1S dress. I used to think that her stuff was as forever sacred (神圣的）as my memory of her, I know now that once I love a scarf or shirt too dearly，it needs to find a new home. Even that green dress is long gone by now.
The author took her mother*s dresses after her death because ______
| A．she valued the things used by her mom |
| B．she didn’t want to throw them, away |
| C． she could sell them later |
| D． they were her mom’s best items |
From the passage, we know that ______.
| A． the things the author bought from the woman are too big |
| B． the author is fond of imagining others’ life experiences |
| C． the author will never shop at regular stores any more |
| D． the author still keeps most of her mom’s things |
In the last paragraph ，the author tries to tell us that ______.
A her mom is the number one person in her life
B. she didn’t really want to sell her mom’s dresses
C. she still thinks of her mother quite often
D. love doesn’t mean holding on to something tightly
It can be inferred that the author will ______.
| A． not sell her own things at stoop sales |
| B．keep her mom in her mind in another way |
| C． be sad about all the memory of her mom |
| D． move to another city for a new life |
About 809 primary school pupils from Southwest China’s quake-hit Sichuan Province arrived in eastern Shandong Province on a special train to attend classes there. The pupils, all from Leigu Township, Beichuan County, a badly-hit area in Sichuan, will study for about two months in schools in Shandong’s capital city of Jinan.
They have been arranged to study in four schools in Jinan and enjoy free schooling, food and accommodation. Each pupil would be given a monthly subsidy of 30 yuan. “To let them come to Jinan is not only for study, but also for recovery from the quake trauma (精神创伤).” said Zou Shiping, Jinan’s vice mayor. In Mingzhu Primary School in Jinan, a wall of pictures became a special way for the local pupils
to welcome their friends from the quake zone. Dormitories were also specially decorated for them.
“This is the best meal that I have had for a long time.” a student from Wenchuan said after her first breakfast in the new place. Huang Zujie, Jinan Education Bureau’s deputy director, said, “We will let the children feel just as they are in their hometown.” Huang said the schools had invited chefs of Sichuan cuisine to let the pupils taste their familiar hometown meals. A second group of about 500 middle school students from Sichuan will soon come to Jinan for classes.Where did those 809 primary school pupils arrive?
| A．Hebei Province. | B．Qing Dao. | C．Jinan | D．Beichuan County. |
Which statement below is RIGHT?
A. Students come to Jinan for study.
B. Students come to Jinan for recovery from the quake trauma.
C. Students come to Jinan for a visit.
D. Both A and B.Which statement is NOT true according to the short passage?
| A．The pupils needn’t pay for food and they will eat Shandong meals. |
| B．A second group of 500 middle school students from Sichuan will soon come to Jinan for classes. |
| C．Pupils from Leigu Township were arranged to study in four schools in Jinan. |
| D．Each pupil would be given a monthly subsidy of 30 yuan. |
How many students from Sichuan Province will come to Jinan for classes altogether?
A. About 1,309. About 809. C. About 500. D. About 2,000.
We are living in a wonderful age, which has become wonderful largely through the scientific discoveries and inventions. There are always new discoveries and new knowledge ahead in every field. For example, much is yet to be discovered in electricity. Weather forecasting is an important area today. Science is doing much in the control of diseases.
Science is a never-ending road for us to go along. Every field gives changes to the person who wants to make science his life work.
Science is also a method of thinking, which can teach us how t
o solve problems and help us to arrive at the truth. The men and women who will be the scientists of tomorrow are in our colleges, factories and farms today. We are all potential scientists. The main idea of this passage is _____.
| A．all scientists begin to study when they are very young |
| B．science teaches us how to work better |
| C．science is a never-ending road for people to go along |
| D．weather forecasting is important |
Discoveries and inventions are the results of the study and use of _____.
| A．electricity | B．science | C．weather | D．the truth |
There are always discoveries _____ for people to make.
| A．in electricity | B．in weather forecasting |
| C．in every field | D．in thinking |
Science teaches us how to work by ______ method.
| A．important | B．scientific | C．old | D．new |
The underlined word "potential" means _____.
| A．worth | B．probable | C．learned | D．lazy |
As we all know, robots are playing an important role in our daily life at present. Now South Korean schoolchildren see robot teachers in the classroom at an elementary school in Seoul. Robot teachers – who never get angry or make sarcastic (讽刺) re
marks--- have been a hit with pupils during a pilot project in some South Korean schools, a government report said Thursday.
Elementary school children responded favourably to the robotic teachers, the Ministry of Knowledge Economy said, citing a survey by educational researchers.
English-teaching robots were sent to three provincial schools for eight weeks starting in late December.
And programmable electronic devices looking like robots, which teach math, science and art, were used in 10 Seoul schools for five weeks from November.
The researchers found that the English-teaching robots helped raise interest in the language and boosted the con
fidence of students.
“Tele-presence (远程呈现)” robots are controlled remotely by an English teacher and are equipped with a microphone and video camera. Autonomous units use voice-recognition software to interact with children .
The government has expressed interest in robots to give rural school children more learning opportunities.
“The machines spurr
ed creativity and had a positive influence on the attitude of students,” a ministry official told Yonhap news agency.
Officials in charge of the project are working to improve the quality of robot teaching and iron out glitches （小故障）before any decision to expand (扩大) their use.What’s the writer’s purpose of writing the passage?
| A．To show South Korean schoolchildren don’t like their teachers |
| B．To prove robot teachers are better than real teachers. |
| C．To tell us the government will forbid using robot teachers in the future. |
| D．To show us a piece of news about robot teachers. |
According to the passage, the schoolchildren’s attitude to the robot teacher is _____ .
| A．bored | B．interested | C．negative | D．disappointed |
The underlined word “spurred” can be replaced by “______”.
| A．encouraged | B．prevented | C．damaged | D．cut |
A British train station has put up a no kissing sign to stop lovers going full stream ahead with their over-loving goodbyes. Rail users have been told: if you want to get up to that kind of business, do it in the car park.
The sign has gone up at the drop-off point (下车区) at Warrington Bank Quay station in the town of Warrington, between Liverpool and Manchester in northwest England. A man i
n a hat and a woman with a curly-looking hair show people they must not indulge (沉迷于) in full –on lip- locking.
A similar sign, this time permitting kissing , has been put up elsewhere in a zone where smooching (拥吻) is considered acceptable. “We have not banned kissing in the station,” said a spokesman for operators Virgin Rail. “But we have put the sign at the drop-off point because it is not a very big area and it often gets busy 
with lots of traffic.”
The sign is a light-hearted way of getting people to move on quickly. “If people wish to spend a little more time with their loved ones before they leave, then should park in the short-stay car park nearby.”
The busy station links the town with the major cities London, Birmingham, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Liverpool and Manchester.
However, one station is trying to rescue love from the tracks, High Wycombe, northwest of London, is having none of it and is actively urging travelers to enjoy love. “Kissing is welcome here! We would never dream of banning kissing,” says a poster of a cartoon couple embracing, framed by a pink heart.
“Railway stations are romantic places,” insisted Kirsteen Roberston from Chiltern Railways. “So our passengers are more than welcome to share a kiss in our stations.”Why is a no kissing sign put up at the drop-off point?
| A．Because the space is limited and people are often crowded. |
| B．Because the station wants to ban kissing in the area. |
| C．Because people can easily see the sign. |
| D．Because the trains have been put off many times. |
The underlined words “that kind of business” mean “_______”
| A．buying and selling | B．kissing each other |
| C．parking cars | D．buying tickets |
From the passage we know that Chilten Railways _____ .
| A．bans kissing in the station | B．plays films of kissing in the station |
| C．encourages kissing in the station | D．bans travelers to see films of kissing |
The old man walked slowly into the restaurant. With head tilted (倾斜), and shoulders bent forward, he leaned on his trusty cane unhurried step.
A young waitress named Mary watched him stepping towards a table by the window and ran over to him. She said, “Here, Sir. Let me give you a hand with that chair.” Then the waitress helped him move in front of the chair and get comfortably seated and leaned his cane(拐杖) against the table where he could reach it. In a soft, clear voice he said, “Thank you for your kind gestures, Miss.”
“you’re welcome, Sir,” she replied. “and my name is Mary. I’ll be back in a moment, and if you need anything at all in the mean time, just wave at me!” After he had finished a hearty meal of pancakes, bacon, and hot lemon tea, Mary brought him the change from his ticket. He left it lay. She helped him up from his chair and out from behind the table. She handed him his cane, and walked with him to the front door.
When Mary went to clean his table, she almost fainted. Under his plate she found a business card, and a note written on a napkin. Under the napkin was a one hundred dollar bill. The note on the napkin read: “Dear Mary, I respect you very much, and you respect yourself too. It shows by the way you treat others. You have found the secret of happiness. Your kind gestures will shine through those who meet you.”
The man happened to be the right owner of the restaurant where she worked. This was the first time that she or any of his employees had ever seen him in person.(本人).Who was the man entering the restaurant?
| A．A beggar in rags. | B．Mary’s father. |
| C．The boss of the restaurant. | D．Mary’s relative. |
The old man was very thankful to Mary because ______ .
| A．She brought him a big meal he liked best. |
| B．She came up to him as soon as possible |
| C．She brought him a chair to sit down |
| D．what she had done for him was kind. |
Which of the following statements is NOT
true according to this passage?
| A．The waiters had never seen the old man before. |
| B．Mary walked with glad to accept a one-hundred note. |
| C．The old man left the change on the table. |
D．M ary walked with the old man to the door politely. |
What can we infer from the note on the napkin the old man left?
| A．The old man praised Mary in public. |
| B．The old man thought highly of Mary. |
| C．The old man would offer Mary much money. |
| D．The old man found out Mary’s secret. |
The best title for this passage is ______.
| A．The beautiful Waitress and the Restaurant |
| B．A Big Meal for the Old Man |
| C．The Clever Boss and the Polite Waitress |
| D．The Poor Beggar and the Kind Waitress. |