“It is a dreadful thing to be poor a fortnight before Christmas, ” said Clorinda, with the mournful sigh of seventeen years.
Aunt Emmy smiled. Aunt Emmy was sixty, and spent the hours she didn’t spend in a bed, on a sofa or in a wheel chair; but Aunt Emmy was never heard to sigh.
“The gifts which money can purchase are not the only ones we can give,” said Aunt Emmy gently, “nor the best, either.”
“Oh, I know it's nicer to give something of your own work,” agreed Clorinda, “but materials for fancy work cost too. That kind of gift is just as much out of the question for me as any other.”
“That was not what I meant,” said Aunt Emmy.
“What did you mean, then?” asked Clorinda, looking puzzled.
Aunt Emmy smiled.
“Suppose you think out my meaning for yourself,” she said. “That would be better than if I explained it. Besides, I don't think I could explain it. Take the beautiful line of a beautiful poem to help you in your thinking out: 'The gift without the giver is bare.”
“I'd put it the other way and say, 'The giver without the gift is bare,” said Clorinda. “That is my predicament(窘境)exactly. Well, I hope by next Christmas I'll not be quite bankrupt. I'm going into Mr. Callender's store down at Murraybridge in February. He has offered me the place, you know.”
“Won't your aunt miss you terribly?” said Aunt Emmy gravely. “I think she would rather have your companionship than a part of your salary, Clorinda,” said Aunt Emmy. “But of course you must decide for yourself, dear.”
“Well, I must say bye-bye and run home.” Clorinda lived just across the road from Aunt Emmy in a tiny white house behind some huge willows. But Aunt Mary lived there too--the only relative Clorinda had, for Aunt Emmy wasn't really her aunt at all. Clorinda had always lived with Aunt Mary ever since she could remember.
Clorinda puzzled over Aunt Emmy's meaning for days. Then all at once it came to her. On Christmas Day, Clorinda went over to Aunt Emmy's.Aunt Emmy was lying on the sofa before the fire, and Clorinda sat down beside her.
“I've come to tell you all about it,” she said. “Aunt Emmy, I thought for days over your meaning ... And then one evening it just came to me. At first I didn't think I could give some of them, and then I thought how selfish I was. I would have been willing to pay any amount of money for gifts if I had had it, but I wasn't willing to pay what I had. I got over that, though, Aunt Emmy. Now I'm going to tell you what I did give.”
“First, there was old Aunt Kitty. You know she was my nurse when I was a baby. She is always glad when I go to see her, but I've never gone except when I couldn't help it. She is very deaf, and rather dull and stupid, you know. Well, I gave her a whole day. I took my knitting yesterday, and sat with her the whole time and just talked and talked. She was so pleased and proud; she told me when I came away that she hadn't had such a nice time for years. ”
“Then there was ... Florence. You know, Aunt Emmy, we were always intimate friends until last year. Then Florence once told Rose Watson something I had told her in confidence. I found it out and I was so hurt. I couldn't forgive Florence, and I told her plainly I could never be a real friend to her again. Florence felt badly, because she really did love me, and she asked me to forgive her, but it seemed as if I couldn't. Well, Aunt Emmy, that was my Christmas gift to her ... my forgiveness.”
“I gave Aunt Mary her gift this morning. I told her I wasn't going to Murraybridge, that I just meant to stay home with her. She was so glad--and I'm glad, too, now that I've decided so.”
“Your gifts have been real gifts, Clorinda,” said Aunt Emmy. “Something of you--the best of you--went into each of them.”
“I didn't forget you, Aunt Emmy,” she said, as she unpinned the paper.
There was a rosebush. Aunt Emmy loved flowers. She put her finger under one of the roses and kissed it.
“It's as sweet as yourself, dear child,” she said tenderly. “And it will be a joy to me all through the lonely winter days. You've found out the best meaning of Christmas giving, haven't you, dear?”
“Yes, thanks to you, Aunt Emmy,” said Clorinda softly.Clorinda felt anxious before Christmas because___________.
| A．She had to leave Aunt Mary |
| B．She didn’t know what kind of Christmas gifts she should buy |
| C．She had not enough money to buy Christmas gifts |
| D．She had no time to make a proper decision |
Which of the following sentences can best explain the line “The gift without the giver is bare.”？
| A．A gift is valued by the mind of the giver. |
| B．Forgiveness is a gift for the giver and the receiver. |
| C．You cannot buy love or respect with expensive gifts. |
| D．Think twice before you give gifts to somebody |
What is the gift that Clorinda gave to old Aunt Kitty?
| A．Passion | B．Sympathy | C．Kindness | D．Company |
What does the underlined phrase “in confidence” mean?
| A．respectfully | B．confidently | C．secretly | D．willingly |
Which two words can best describe Aunt Emmy?
| A．cute and joyful | B．kind-hearted and emotional |
| C．optimistic and wise | D．gentle and timid (羞怯的) |
Which of the following is the best title?
| A．A Special Christmas | B．Clorinda’s Gifts |
| C．Aunt Emmy | D．Clorinda’s Choice |
In our culture, the sources of what we call a sense of "mastery"—feeling important and worthwhile—and the sources of what we call a sense of "pleasure"—finding life enjoyable—are not always the same．Women often are told "You can't have it all．" Sometimes what the speaker really is saying is: "You choose a career, so you can't expect to have closer relationships or a happy family life．" or "You have a wonderful husband and children—what's all this about wanting a career?" But women need to understand and develop both aspects of well-being, if they are to feel good about themselves．
Our study shows that, for women, well-being（康乐） has two aspects．One is mastery, which includes self-respect, a sense of control over your life, and low levels of anxiety and depression．Mastery is closely related to the "doing" side of life, to work and activity．Pleasure is the other aspect, and it is made up of happiness, satisfaction and optimism．It is tied more closely to the "feeling" side of life．The two are independent of each other．A woman could be high in mastery and low in pleasure, and vice versa （反之亦然） ．For example, a woman who has a good job, but whose mother has just died, might be feeling very good about herself and in control of her work life, but the pleasure side could be damaged for a time．
The concepts of mastery and pleasure can help us identify the sources of well-being for women, and correct past mistakes．In the past, women were encouraged to look only at the feeling side of life as the source of all well-being．But we know that both mastery and pleasure are important．And mastery seems to be achieved largely through work．In our study, all the groups of employed women are valued significantly higher in mastery than women who are not employed．
A woman's well-being is developed when she takes on multiple （多项的） roles．At least ?by middle adulthood, the women who are involved in a combination of roles —marriages, motherhood, and employment —are the highest in well-being, in spite of warnings about stress and strain．It can be inferred from the first paragraph that ____．
| A．for women, a sense of "mastery" is more important than a sense of "pleasure" |
| B．for women, a sense of "pleasure" is more important than a sense of "mastery" |
| C．women can't have a sense of "mastery" and a sense of "pleasure" at the same time |
| D．a sense of "mastery" and a sense of "pleasure" are both necessary to women |
The author's attitude towards women having a career is___．
| A．negative | B．positive | C．neutral （中立） | D．realistic |
One can conclude from the passage that if a woman takes on several social roles, ___．
| A．her life will be richer and more meaningful |
| B．she will be more successful in her career |
| C．her chances of getting promoted will be greater |
| D．it will be easier for her to overcome stress and strain |
The most appropriate title for the passage would be ___．
| A．The Well-Being of Career Women |
| B．Sources of Mastery and Pleasure |
| C．Two Aspects of Women's Well-Being |
| D．Multiple Roles of Women in Society |
Western New Bridge Library Announcement
| Shortened Library Hours for Spring Break Library Hours have been shortened to 7hours a day （9:00am-4:00pm）for Spring Break from March 21 to March 30． |
| Coming Events |
| ·On Monday, March 21, at 10:30 am, Scott Sutton, a children’s writer, will tell stories to kids over seven．Sutton’s attractive style will surely inspire everyone present! ·At l:00pm, on March 23, the Georgetown musicians will present an Irish folk concert, which will be entertaining for the entire family．Come for the music and stay to check out some relevant books for the rest of the week! ·On Thursday, March 24, at 2:00pm, the annual Children's Gathering will take place in Room 201, the second-floor．Pick up an invitation in the Children's Room and return your RSVP（回复） to reserve your seat at the table by 3:00pm on Wednesday day, March 23．Only children are allowed in the gathering． ·At 10:30 am, on Friday, March 25, Enzo Monfre of the his kids’ science show, ENZOology, will bring Fossbls live! Surely Enzo will take the audience back in time, deep beneath the surface of the earth, to uncover the mysteries of killer dinosaurs, and more Enzo recently appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres Show-come and see him at the library! |
| Please note: In case of emergency, please call the Help Desk at 926-3736 and follow the procedures outlined on the voice message．The call-down service is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for emergencies．The Help Desk supplies service to you all the year round! For questions about all these, please contact hld@wnbl．org |
| Come for the great Fun; Stay for the relevant Books! |
To attend the annual Children's Gathering, one has to ____．
| A．make a reservation | B．apply in advance |
| C．buy a ticket | D．contact the call-down service |
According to the passage, Enzo Monfre will ____．
| A．show the children around a zoo |
| B．tell stories to children over seven |
| C．be present at the science show in person |
| D．lead the children to the Ellen DeGeneres Show |
．The Help Desk in this library supplies service____．
| A．during the daytime | B．incase of emergency |
| C．till the end of the Spring Break | D．after 22:00 pm every day |
We can learn from the passage that children can ____．
| A．attend all the activities with their parents |
| B．borrow some relevant books for the activities |
| C．participate in the activities from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm |
| D．choose only one of the activities according to their interest |
Even before my father left us, my mother had to go back to work to support our family．Once I came out of the kitchen, complaining, "Mom, I can't peel potatoes．I have only one hand．"
Mom never looked up from sewing．"You get yourself into that kitchen and peel those potatoes," she told me．"And don't ever use that as an excuse for anything again!"
In the second grade, our teacher lined up my class on the playground and had each of us race across the monkey bars, swinging from one high steel bar to the next．When it was my turn, I shook my head．Some kids behind me laughed, and I went home crying．
That night I told Mom about it．She hugged me, and I saw her "we'll see about that" look． The next afternoon, she took me back to school．At the deserted playground, Mom looked carefully at the bars．
"Now, pull up with your right arm," she advised．She stood by as I struggled to lift myself with my right hand until I could hook the bar with my other arm．Day after day we practiced, and she praised me for every rung （横档） I reached．I'd never forget the next time, crossing the rungs．I looked down at the kids who were standing with their mouths open．
One night, after a dance at my new junior high, I lay in bed sobbing．I could hear Mom come into my room．"Mom," I said, weeping, "none of the girls would dance with me．"
For a long time, I didn't hear anything．Then she said, "Oh, honey, someday you'll be beating those boys off with a bat．" Her voice was soft and weak．I glanced at her to see tears running down her cheeks．Then I knew how much she suffered on my behalf．She had never let me see her tears．Which of the following expressions can be used most suitably to describe Mom's attitude
when she made the child peel potatoes?
| A．Cruel． | B．Serious． | C．Strict． | D．Cold． |
From the passage, we know monkey bars can help a child train ____．
| A．the skill to circle round a bar |
| B．the skill to throw and catch things |
| C．the speed of one's hand movement |
| D．the strength and skill to hang and swing |
What does the sentence "I saw her 'we'll see about that' look" imply?
| A．Mom believed every aim could be achieved if you stuck to it． |
| B．What the child had said brought Mom great attraction and curiosity． |
| C．Mom was determined to prove she herself was better than the teacher． |
| D．The race across monkey bars was not difficult enough for a child to give up． |
The most probable conclusion we can draw after reading the passage is ____．
| A．the last incident was sad enough to make Mom weep |
| B．the child's experience reminded Mom of that of her own |
| C．Mom could solve any problem except the one in the last paragraph |
| D．in fact Mom suffered more in the process of the child's growth |
Some scientists say that animals in the oceans are increasingly threatened by noise pollution caused by human beings.
The noise that affects sea creatures comes from a number of human activities. It is caused mainly by industrial underwater explosions, ocean drilling, and ship engines. Such noises are added to natural sounds. These sounds include the breaking of ice fields, underwater earthquakes, and sounds made by animals themselves.
Decibels（分贝）measured in water are different from those measured on land. A noise of one hundred and twenty decibels on land causes pain to human ears. In water, a decibel level of one hundred and ninety-five would have the same effect.
Some scientists have proposed setting a noise limit of one hundred and twenty decibels in oceans. They have observed that noises at that level can frighten and confuse whales.
A team of American and Canadian scientists discovered that louder noises can seriously injure some animals. The research team found that powerful underwater explosions were causing whales in the area to lose their hearing. This seriously affected the whales' ability to exchange information and find their way. Some of the whales even died. The explosions had caused their ears to bleed and become infected.
Many researchers whose work depends on ocean sounds object to a limit of one hundred and twenty decibels. They say such a limit would mean an end to important industrial and scientific research.
Scientists do not know how much and what kinds of noises are harmful to ocean animals. However, many scientists suspect that noise is a greater danger than they believed. They want to prevent noises from harming creatures in the ocean. According to the passage, which of the following is increasingly dangerous to sea creatures?
| A．The man-made noises. | B．The noises made by themselves. |
| C．The sound of earthquakes. | D． The sound of the ice-breaking. |
Which of the following is discussed in the third paragraph?
| A．Different places with different types of noises. |
| B．The very human ears sensitive to all types of noises. |
| C．The ocean animals' reaction to noises. |
| D．The same noise measured differently on land and in the ocean. |
We can know from the passage that many researchers think that the noise limit of one hundred twenty decibels would _____.
| A．prevent them from doing their research work |
| B．benefit them a lot in their research work |
| C．do good to their health |
| D．increase the industrial output |
According to the passage, what will scientists most probably do in the future?
| A．They will try their best to decrease noise. |
| B．They will work hard to cut down noise pollution. |
| C．They will study the effect of different noises. |
| D．They will protect animals from harmful noises. |
Someday a stranger will read your e-mail without your permission or scan the websites you’ve visited. Or perhaps someone will casually glance through your credit card purchases or cell phone bills to find out your shopping preferences or calling 
habits.
In fact, it’s likely that some of these things have already happened to you. Who would watch you without your permission? It might be a husband or wife, a girlfriend, a marketing company, a boss, a police or a criminal. Whoever it is, they will see you in a way you’ve never intended to be seen.
Some experts tell us boundaries are healthy, and it’s important to reveal (暴露) yourself to your friends, family and lovers in stages, at proper times. But few boundaries could remain. The digital equipment makes it easy for strangers to know who you are, where you are and what you like. In some cases, a simple Google search can even reveal what you think. Like it or not, increasingly we live in a world where you simply cannot keep a secret.
The key question is: Does that matter?
When opinion polls ask Americans about privacy, most say they are concerned about losing it. A survey shows that 60 percent of them feel their privacy is “slipping away, and that bothers me.”
But people often say one thing and do another. Only a tiny number of Americans change the behaviors in an effort to protect their privacy. Few people turn down a discount at tollbooths (收费站) to avoid using the EZ-Pass system that can track your automobile movements. And few turn down supermarket loyalty cards. Privacy economist Alessandro Acquits has run a series of tests, and these tests show that the majority of Americans will not keep personal secret just in order to get their hands on a pitiful 50-cents-off coupon (优惠券)
But privacy does matter—at least sometimes. It’s like health: when you have it, you don’t notice it. Only when it’s gone, do you wish you’d done more to protect it. So, when it comes to privacy, why do so many people say one thing and do another? And what can be done about it? What would be the experts advise on the relationships between friends?
| A．Friends should open their hearts to each other. |
| B．Friends should always be faithful to each other. |
| C．There should be a distance even between friends. |
| D．There should be fewer secrets between friends. |
The author says “we live in a world where you simply cannot keep a secret” because ______.
| A．modern society has finally entered a much opened society |
| B．people leave privacy around when using modern technology |
| C．there are always people who are curious about others’ affairs |
| D．many search engines profit by selling people’s privacy |
According to Alessandro Acquits, most Americans _________.
| A．like to exchange their personal secret for the commercial benefit |
| B．aren’t interested in the pitiful commercial benefit to keep their personal secret |
| C．pay no attention to their personal secret for the commercial benefit |
| D．can’t keep the balance between their personal secret and the commercial benefit |
The best title for the passage could be _________?
| A．Is Privacy As Important As Health |
| B．What Can Be Done to Protect the Privacy |
| C．Does Privacy Matter |
| D．Does Modern Technology Reveal Privacy |