阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和-优题课

　I had my first job at the age of thirteen, when a friend of my mother’s who owned a book shop 　36　me for six hours a week to help her in the shop. I was very 　37　to earn my own pocket money and my parents 　38　interfered with how I spent it, even when I was spending it 　39　. They believed that by earning money, spending it, and learning from the 　40　, I would become more mature and 　41　 about how to handle work, relationships with others, and money.
　　Like many 　42　parents, my parents also let me and my brothers do things over which they 　43　a great deal. When I was sixteen, for example, after I finished high school and before I entered university, I wanted to spend the summer months traveling around 　44　. My mother was against the idea of my traveling alone at such a young age, but my father felt that it would be a great 　45　for me. In the end, my father won the 　46　on the condition that I limited my traveling to France, my mother’s home, where I had many uncles, aunts and cousins 　47　through the country who could 　48　shelter and help if I needed them.
　　Three years later, my younger brother decided to 　49　a year off after his first year in university and travel through the United States and the Caribbean. Again my mother was very worried and not 　50　to see my brother leave school, but my father encouraged him and my brother had a(n) 　51　year working his way on trains and ships to 　52　passage to different ports and cities, and discovering many fascinating places and people.
　　These kinds of experiences are probably rare for children in many countries but in the US they are fairly 　53　. Most parents start 　54　their children at a young age to do small things by themselves. By the time they have finished high school, many American kids have already had part-time jobs, traveled around the US or other countries on their own, have 　55　the university they plan to attend and maybe even decided on their future career, and so on.
　　36. A. taught　　　　 B. allowed　　　　C. treated　　　　 D. hired
　　37. A. anxious　　　　B. content　　　　C. proud　　　　　 D. hopeful
　　38. A. never　　　　　B. ever　　　　　 C. always　　　　　D. even
　　39. A. quickly　　　　B. foolishly　　　C. seriously　　　 D. honestly
　　40. A. work　　　　　 B. mistakes　　　 C. others　　　　　D. books
　　41. A. strict　　　　 B. reasonable　　 C. polite　　　　　D. responsible
　　42. A. American　　　 B. Japanese　　　 C. Chinese　　　　 D. British
　　43. A. helped　　　　 B. supported　　　C. shared　　　　　D. worried
　　44. A. Asia 　　　　　B. Africa　　　　 C. Europe　　　　　D. Oceania
　　45. A. journey　　　　B. experience　　 C. chance　　　　　D. possibility
　　46. A. argument 　　　B. game　　　　　 C. discussion　　　D. plan
　　47. A. send out 　　　B. give out　　　 C. carry out　　　 D. spread out
　　48. A. promise　　　　B. afford　　　　 C. provide　　　　 D. serve
　　49. A. leave　　　　　B. make　　　　　C. take　　　　　　D. prepare
　　50. A. angry　　　　　B. eager　　　　　C. sorry 　　　　　D. sad
　　51. A. unusual　　　　B. hard　　　　　 C. strange　　　　 D. busy
　　52. A. accept　　　　 B. earn　　　　　 C. find　　　　　　D. search
　　53. A. welcome　　　　B. fit　　　　　　C. necessary　　　 D. common
　　54. A. bringing　　　 B. forcing　　　　C. pushing　　　　 D. protecting
　　55. A. selected　　　 B. admired　　　　C. afforded　　　　D. left

Elderly people respond (反应) best to a calm and unhurried environment. This is not always easy to 36 as their behavior can sometimes be irritating (令人恼怒的). If they get 37 or upset, then they may become more confused（糊涂的） and more difficult to look after. 38 sometimes it can be extremely difficult, it is best to be 39 and not to get upset yourself. You should always 40 old people to do as much as possible for themselves but be ready to 41 a helping hand when necessary.
Failing memory makes it 42 for the elderly to recall all the basic kinds of information we 43 for granted. The obvious way to help in this 44 is to supply the information that is missing and help them make 45 of what is going on. You must use every opportunity to provide information, 46 remember to keep it simple and easy to understand.
When the elderly person makes 47 statements e.g. about going out to his or her old 48 or visiting a dead relative, 49 in a calm matter-of-fact fashion: "You are retired now. Will you come and help me with the dishes?"
We depend 50 on the information provided by signposts, clocks, calendars and newspapers. These assist us to 51 and direct our behavior. Confused old people need these 52 all the time to compensate(弥补) for their memory.
Encourage them to use 53 boards or diaries for important 54 events and label(标注) the contents of different cupboards and drawers. Many other aids such as information cards, 55 photos, notes, addresses or shopping lists could help in individual case.
36. A. provide B. protect C. discover D. examine
37. A. happy B. easy C. excited D. comfortable
38. A. As a result B. Even though C. For D. Although
39. A. patient B. protective C. ready D. helpful
40. A. tell B. encourage C. warn D. permit
41. A. carry B. make C. lend D. offer
42. A. necessary B. difficult C. terrible D. impossible
43. A. make B. give C. think D. take
44. A. condition B. situation C. action D. position
45. A. sense B. use C. light D. fun
46. A. and B. or C. however D. but
47. A. obvious B. strange C. confused D. fixed
48. A. factory B. hospital C. school D. employment
49. A. correct B. repeat C. check D. care
50. A. hardly B. heavily C. totally D. simply
51. A. collect B. form C. keep D. organize
52. A. information B. advice C. aids D. materials
53. A. reminder B. flat C. recovery D. wood
54. A. improving B. coming C. moving D. exciting
55. A. beautiful B. unforgettable C. nice D. old

Before her 21-year-old daughter died in an accident in early 2007, Pam Weiss had never logged on to Facebook, a social-networking site. At that time, social-networking sites were used almost only by 36. But she knew her daughter Amy Woolington, a UCLA student, had a(n) 37, so in her sadness Weiss turned to Facebook to look for photos. She found what she was looking for and more. She was soon communicating with her daughter’s many friends, 38memories through passages that her daughter had written. “It makes me feel 39that Amy had a positive effect on so many people, and I wouldn’t have had a clue if it hadn’t been 40Facebook,” says Weiss.And she wouldn’t have had a 41if she had waited too long. She managed to copy most of her daughter’s profile in the three months before Facebook 42.
Like a growing number of sad relatives, Weiss tapped into one of the most powerful treasures of memories available: a loved one’s online presence. As people spend more time at 43, there’s less being stored away in dusty attics(阁楼).These pieces of our lives that we put online can feel as eternal as the Internet itself, but what happens to our 44identity after we die?
Facebook 45its policy a few months after Woolington died. “We first realized we needed a protocol(协定书) for 46 users after the Virginia Tech University shooting, when students were looking for ways to remember and 47their classmates,” says Facebook spokeswoman Elizabeth Linder.
( ) 36. A. men B. the youthful C. women D. students
( ) 37. A. status B. post C. account D. memory
( ) 38. A. sharing B. storing C. accumulating D. devoting
( ) 39. A. enthusiastic B. upset C. well D. good
( ) 40. A. with B. for C. on D. of
( ) 41. A. blueprint B. poet C. picture D. clue
( ) 42. A. took it up B. took it on C. took it over D. took it down
( ) 43. A. television B. music C. keyboard D. sports
( ) 44. A. digital B. virtual C. real D. false
( ) 45. A. made B. declared C. fixed D. changed
( ) 46. A. dying B. active C. alive D. dead
( ) 47. A. honor B. recognize C. recall D. observe

Sometimes I really doubt whether there is love between my parents. Every day they are very busy trying to __36__ in order to pay the high tuition for my brother and me. They don’t act in the __37__ ways that I read in books or I see on TV. In their opinion, “I love you” is too __38__ for them to say. Sending flowers to each other on Valentine’s Day is even more out of __39__.
One day, my mother was sewing a quilt. I sat down beside her. “Mom, I have a question to ask you. Is there __40__ between you and Dad?” I asked her in a very low voice. She didn’t answer immediately. She __41__ her head and continued to sew the quilt.
I was very worried because I thought I had _42_ her. I was _43__ and I didn’t know what I should do. But at last I heard my mother say the following words:
“Susan,” she said thoughtfully, “Look at this thread．Sometimes it __44_, but most of it disappears in the quilt. The thread really makes the quilt __45__. If life is a quilt, then love should be a thread．It can hardly be seen __46_, but it’s really there. Love is __47__.”
I listened carefully but I __48__ her until the next spring. At that time, my father suddenly __49_ seriously. My mother had to stay with him in the hospital for a month. When they returned from the hospital, they both looked __50 _. It seemed both of them had had a serious illness. After they were back, every day in the morning and dusk, my mother helped my father __51__ on the country road．
“Dad, how are you feeling now?” I asked him one day.“Susan, don’t __52__ me.” he said gently. “To tell you the truth, I just like walking with your mom.”__53__ his eyes, I know he loves my mother deeply.
Once I thought love meant flowers, gifts and __54__. But from this experience, I understand that love is just __55__ in the quilt of our life. Love is inside, making life strong and warm.
31．A．keep fit B．rise early C．earn money D．collect fortune
32．A．magic B．romantic C．fantastic D．attractive
33．A．simple B．easy C．relaxing D．luxurious
34．A．the question B．question C．reach D．control
35．A．feeling B．love C．quarrel D．smile
36．A．raised B．shook C．nodded D．bowed
37．A．hurt B．injured C．wounded D．harmed
38．A．in great surprise B．in a great embarrassment
C．with deep depression D．at extreme sorrow
39．A．happens B．comes about C．appears D．occurs
40．A．warm and soft B．hot and hard C．thin and cool D．strong and durable
41．A．somewhere and sometime B．anywhere or anytime
C．more or less D．here and there
42．A．inside B．outside C．faraway D．nearby
43．A．could believe B．couldn’t understand C．wouldn’t recognize D．might know
44．A．got sick B．got stuck C．threw up D．became disabled
45．A．quite healthy B．very pale C．fairly red D．much surprised
46．A．jump high B．go hurriedly C．run fast D．walk slowly
47．A．think about B．talk with C．worry about D．laugh at
48．A．Reading B．Seeing C．Saying D．Writing
49．A．fresh roses B．gold ring C．sweet kisses D．beautiful jewelry
50．A．a thread B．a needle C．the cloth D．the cotton

I am always eager to do experiments, especially chemistry ones. It's 21to work with test tubes and beakers , even though sometimes my efforts end in failure. Experiments were fun for me 22a recent accident.
The accident happened when I was heating a big test tube with an alcohol burner , chatting to my partner. All of a sudden, the tube cracked. Even though I jumped from my seat when I heard the crack, the hair on my forehead was burnt as I was leaning too close to the test tube.
23I had no time to be sad about my hair: the liquid in the test tube poured onto the table and caught fire. I'd never 24anything so bad! My mind went blank for a moment. Then I quickly covered the fire with a damp cloth to put it out.
The teacher told me that the test tube broke in half at the bottom because we didn't dry it properly before 25 it.
We calmed down and did the experiment, again. But our hearts were still26rapidly even after we walked out of the lab.
But my bad luck didn't end there! Since all our 27was focused on the flames while we were in the lab, I didn't see the liquid falling onto my trousers.
During the following class, I felt a pain in my leg. Soon it became more and m6re painful and I touched the area with my fingers, 28to make things better. But to my great 29 , the material of my trousers turned into powder! "Vitriol ! ! ! The terrible word came into my mind. I rushed out right away to wash and examine my poor skin. 30 , it was not a serious injury.
After changing my trousers I thought it's very important to have a serious attitude in chemistry class. Doing scientific experiments as a learner is no laughing matter.
21. A. exciting B. moving C. dangerous D. difficult
22. A. but B. except C. besides D. until
23. A. Because B. Instead C. But D. Or
24. A. felt B. heard C. experienced D. imagined
25. A. boiling B. holding C. heating D. cooking
26. A. striking B. beating C. knocking D. hitting
27. A. effort B. sense C. attention D. spirit
28. A. failing B imanaging C. trying D. planning
29. A. disappointment B. joy C. surprise D. comfort
30. A. Luckily B. Obviously C. Unexpectedly D. Generally