It was the first snow of the winter---an exciting day for every child but not for most teachers. Up to now, I had been old enough to dress myself, but today I would need some help. Miss Finlayson, my kindergarten teacher, Ontario, had been through best snow days many times, but I think she may still remember this one.
I managed to get into my wool snow trousers. But I struggled with my jacket because it didn’t fit well. It was a hand-me-down from my brother, and it made me wonder why I had to wear the ugly clothes. At least my hat and scarf were mine, and they were quite pretty. Finally it was time to have Miss Finlayson help me with my boots.
In her calm, motherly voice she said, “By the end of the winter, you will all be able to put on your own boots.” I didn’t realize at the time that it was more a statement of hope than of confidence.
I handed her my boots and stuck out my feet. Like most children, I expected the adult to do all the work. After much pushing, she managed to get the first one into place and then, with a sigh, worked the second one on too.
I announced, “They are on the wrong feet.”
She struggled to get the boots off and went through the joyless task of putting them on again.
“They are my brother’s boots, you know, I hate them.”
Somehow, from long years of practice, she managed to act as though I wasn’t an annoying little girl. She struggled with me. She asked “now, where are your mittens(手套)?”
I looked into her eyes and said, “I didn’t want to lose them, so I hid them in the toes of my boots.”The little girl was more satisfied with her __________.
| A．trousers | B．jackets | C．boots | D．hat |
Miss Finlayson had difficulty with the little girl’s boots mainly because________.
| A．the girl got them from her brother |
| B．the girl put something in them |
| C．they were on the wrong feet |
| D．they did not fit the girl well |
Why does the author say Miss Finlayson would remember that first snow day?
| A．Because the little girl was in her brother’s clothes. |
| B．Because it was the most exciting day of the winter. |
| C．Because the little girl wore a pretty scarf. |
| D．Because the little girl played a trick on her. |
It can be inferred from the passage that Miss Finlayson _______________.
| A．was losing confidence in the little girl |
| B．was gradually losing patience with the little girl |
| C．became disappointed with the little girl |
| D．got curious about the little girl |
Many people go to work each day to a job they hate. The harmful feelings influence their entire life, putting a negative cloud over the home, their friends and many of their other activities. There is a better way to live your life. Meaningful purpose is a driving force that adds enthusiasm to your days. Here are a few steps to get the new career rolling:
Do some self-analysis. Ask yourself -- What really matters to me? What problem or wrong would I like to fix? What do I enjoy? Where are my interests and hobbies? What are my priorities? What is my secret passion? What do I want to do with the rest of my life? Reviewing these questions can give you new insight to where you want to go.
Use your unique genius and talents. Every person is born with a unique set of natural abilities. Talents, such as managing, creating, researching, training others, drawing, can all seem like easy work because you have a natural flair（才能）for them. True happiness comes from combining your natural talents, developing and excelling in them, and working in a field, job, industry that you have a passionate interest in.
Make a decision. Only action can change your life. Read a book. Take vocational tests. Use a good career-management professional. Do some career exploration and gather all the information you need. Then make a decision and go forward. Outline the action steps to reach your career goal. Finding meaning, passion and purpose every day you go to work is the wonderful reward, so don’t wait any longer. Begin right now and set in motion your own plan to live a happier, more satisfying life. Which is the best title of the passage?
| A．Suggestions on How to Build a More Meaningful Career |
| B．Steps on How to Live Happily and Comfortably |
| C．Do not Hate Your Job Any Longer. |
| D．Find Out Your Natural Talents and Make a Success. |
According to the passage, by analyzing ourselves, we can .
| A．know the true meaning of our life |
| B．understand better about the career we want |
| C．find out our own unique genius and talents |
| D．improve relations with our family and friends |
The purpose in writing this passage is to _____.
| A．persuade people to work hard to make a happier life |
| B．reveal some wrong-doings at work |
| C．direct people to choose their career |
| D．give some solutions to deal with troubles at work |
Part-time jobs for 15 and 16 years olds
| Waiter / Waitress A job as a waiter or waitress is a good choice for 16-year-olds. Not only can one earn $9-$12 an hour, but they can also get the tips (小费). Most people that visit a restaurant don’t just have good food. They come here to relax and have a good time. Besides serving food quickly, a young waiter who talks to them politely with a smile on his face will make the diners enjoy their time at the restaurant. |
| Work in a library If one is fond of books, working in a library is another suitable choice. Besides the pay is good, it offers a lot of free time when students can actually sit down and finish their homework. So on returning home, they would have time to hang around with friends or just relax. So working in a library is an excellent part-time job for teens, especially for school students. |
| Internet jobs There are many ways of making money through online jobs like clicking on advertisements, visiting sites and signing up with them. However, such online jobs don’t pay well. A better Internet job for teens is to complete online surveys. These are quite simple surveys that usually ask one about his/ her opinions and ideas. Many companies use these ideas to make products designed for teenagers. |
What does the writer think of the job as a waiter/waitress?
| A．It needs a period of training. |
| B．It pays much more than other jobs. |
| C．It can improve one’s leadership skills. |
| D．Making diners comfortable is part of the job. |
A student who is busy with his research paper will probably choose to work ______.
| A．in a restaurant | B．in a library | C．on the Internet | D．in an IT company |
The writer wrote this text to ______.
| A．tell us the importance of doing part-time jobs |
| B．advise teenagers how to choose a part-time job |
| C．teach young people how to make lots of money |
| D．introduce his/her experience of doing part-time jobs |
Why do some companies ask the teens to do surveys?
| A．The teens have more free time. |
| B．They can pay less to the teens. |
| C．They need advice to make products for teens. |
| D．The teens usually express their true opinions. |
Four out of ten parents in the UK spend between ￡100 and ￡500 on their children’s birthday parties, according to a survey. Four in ten parents of children under 18, who were questioned in a survey, admitted that they felt pressured into organizing more expensive birthday parties for their children than they would like to.
How much parents spend on their children’s birthday parties is one of the most frequently discussed topics on parenting websites. Here is one comment on Mumsnet summing up the thoughts of many parents: “Where we live everyone hires places, entertainers and so on. I don’t want to compare with my rich neighbors, but I want my son to have what all his classmates have.”
The research was carried out on behalf of the children’s charity, Lumos, set up by the author JK Rowling. Just 13 percent of parents spent ￡50 or less in the past year on their children’s parties.
Many children’s clowns(小丑) or entertainers charge ￡150 or more for an hour, and parents often feel it necessary to book a special place. Even without these, the cost of plates, the cake and party bags can mount up. Party Pieces, a company set up by Carole and Michael Middleton, charge about ￡16 for a birthday cake for a party with 16 guests, ￡22 for table decorations and up to ￡48 for party bags.
Many children of famous people have increasingly expensive parties, often seen in famous magazines. Suri Cruise, the daughter of actor Tom Cruise and actress Katie Holmes, enjoyed a ￡100,000 birthday party according to a report.
Georgette Mulheir of Lumos, said,“Parents in the UK are under increasing pressure to spend more and more money on birthday parties for their children and their children’s friends.”What’s the main idea of this passage?
| A．Children’s birthday parties put their parents under financial pressure in the UK. |
| B．Many parents are willing to spend more on their children’s birthday parties. |
| C．Parents pay more and more attention to their children’s birthday parties. |
| D．Children in the UK hope for more and more expensive birthday parties. |
What does the underlined part “mount up” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?
| A．Increase. | B．Change. | C．Exist. | D．Count. |
By the example of the birthday party for Suri Cruise, the writer probably wants to show that________.
| A．famous people love their children very much |
| B．children of famous people can get whatever they want |
| C．some children of famous people have really expensive birthday parties |
| D．holding expensive birthday parties is common nowadays |
In which of the following sections would you most probably read this passage?
| A．Business | B．Education | C．Science | D．Family |
Sydney—A shark savaged a schoolboy's leg while he was surfing with his father at a beach in Sydney on February 23．It was the third shark attack along the coast of Australia's largest city in a month．
The 15-year-old boy and his father were in the water off Avalon, on Sydney's northern beaches, around dawn when he was attacked．The city's beaches are packed with locals and tourists during the summer months．
"The father heard a scream and turned to see his son trashing （扭动） about in the water," police said．"Fortunately, the shark swam away and the boy was helped to shore by his father．
Lifesaving Club spokesman Nick Miller: "It got him around the top of his left leg and the father came and dragged him out of water．" He said the boy was bleeding heavily when he was brought to shore．"There was a lot of pain, as you can imagine"．The teenager was airlifted to hospital for treatment for leg injuries．
Police said the bites" cut through to the bone" , but the boy did not appear to have sustained any fractures （骨折）．He was in a stable condition now．
Several beaches were closed after the attack．Water police and lifeguards were searching for the shark, while police hoped to identify its species by the shape of the bite marks．But they said it was too early to say what type of shark attacked the boy．"I don't even know if he saw it," Miller said．
Many shark species live in the waters off Sydney's beaches, but attacks on humans are still relatively rare．However, there were two attacks on successive days earlier this month, one on a navy diver in Sydney harbor, not far from the famous Opera House, and the other on a surfer at the city's world-famous Bondi beach．
Fishermen say shark numbers are on the rise．There is a ban on commercial fishing in the harbor, which has increased fish stocks．Marine experts also claim environmental protection has created a cleaner environment, attracting sharks closer to shore as they chase fish．Many shark species, including the Great White—the man-eater made famous in Steven Spielberg's Jaws—are protected in Australian waters．The report mainly tells us _______．
| A．shark attacks on humans are on the rise |
| B．sharks attacked humans three times in one month |
| C．a boy was attacked by a shark at a Sydney beach |
| D．shark numbers are increasing in the waters off Sydney's beaches |
The underlined word" savaged "in the first paragraph probably means _______．
| A．attracted | B．dragged |
| C．bit | D．packed |
What do we know about the city of Sydney from the passage?
| A．It is one of the largest cities in Australia． |
| B．Sydney harbor is not far from the famous Opera House． |
| C．There are many locals and tourists on its coast all year round． |
| D．There are few shark species in the waters off Sydney's beaches． |
All the followings are the causes of Australia's sharks increasing EXCEPT that_______．
| A．environmental protection has created a cleaner environment |
| B．a ban on commercial fishing has increased fish numbers |
| C．many shark species are protected in Australia waters |
| D．the film Jaws made the Great White famous |
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