Most teens can't wait to learn to drive. Not so with me. Driving made me nervous. I didn't get a license until I turned 24 years old. As a result, when I first married, we only had one car and car pooled to work. My husband's hours were different from mine by one hour. I worked earlier. So he dropped me off and went to the diner to drink coffee until work time.
Then, in the afternoons, I leisurely walked the three miles to his work place where I waited in his car, reading a book.
One day while waiting for him, I noticed the most beautiful Cadillac pull in the lot. It was powder blue and sleek looking. The kind of car you dream about. I was busily admiring the car, when I noticed the driver. Honestly, she was probably the prettiest woman I had ever seen off the movie screen.
She pulled into the spot beside our car and it was all I could do not to stare. There was a striking resemblance to Liz Taylor. Jet black hair and alabaster skin. Our eyes made contact and she smiled at me. Her eyes were as blue as the sea, and teeth like an even row of pearls. She was wearing a light blue shirt that just matched her car. Peeking through her long, softly curled hair I could see gold hoop earrings. They had to be gold to shine like that. A couple of minutes later, a nice looking man came out of the building, entered her car, leaned over and kissed her and she drove away.
Sitting there in my jeans, shirt and hair in a pony tail, I wanted to cry. How could some people have it all?
Maybe I would have forgotten about her, but the following week, I saw her again. Then it became almost routine to see her about once a week. She seemed friendly and always waved, flashing a big smile. My envy lingered long after she drove away.
Many nights when sleep evaded me, I would think about the beautiful lady. I wondered if she and her husband ate out, and where they dined, and what she was wearing. I wanted her to get out of the car and let me see her full length. Did she wear really high heeled shoes and pants, or a skirt.
I would get my answers in a couple of weeks.
Sitting in our usual parking lot, I was holding my book, watching her over the top of it. She was waiting and when her husband came to the car, she called to him. They spoke a few words and he opened the car door for her to step out. He took her arm and helped her out of the car. I could see very well as she moved to get out. She was wearing a skirt.
She haltingly walked around to the passenger side very slowly, leaning on a walking cane. Sitting sideways in the car, she lifted one leg with her hands and then the other one. The beautiful lady had a prosthesis on the left leg and a brace on the right leg. I couldn't watch them drive away as the tears were blinding me. For weeks I had envied this woman and her way of life, while I had been able to walk three miles to our car!
When my husband arrived and found me crying, he immediately asked what was wrong. Through my tears, I told him about the beautiful lady. He said he knew her husband and also knew the story. The beautiful lady and her parents were in a car that either stalled or got caught on the railroad tracks and was hit by a train. Both parents were killed and she was severely injured. She was only 12 years old. The railroad made a large settlement with her because the crossing had no signals. He explained her car was specially built for her needs as well as the home.
I prayed for forgiveness all the way home. The lady I thought had everything I didn't. I realized how lucky I was to have my parents, the ability to walk, run or dance through life and many wonderful things money can't buy. I would not have traded places with the beautiful lady for anything
When you meet a person who seems to be much better off than you, don't be fooled.In the afternoons the woman walked three miles to her husband’s work place to___.
| A．take exercise on the way | B．meet the beautiful lady. |
| C．enjoy the scenery and reading | D．wait for her husband |
After seeing the beautiful lady, the woman concluded_______.
| A．the beautiful lady led a rich and happy life. |
| B．the beautiful lady liked to show off herself. |
| C．she and her husband must make more money. |
| D．she shouldn’t have married her husband. |
The woman prayed for forgiveness all the way home because_______.
| A．She should have known the whole story earlier. |
| B．She shouldn’t have compared herself with the woman. |
| C．She shouldn’t have told her husband what she had seen. |
| D．She shouldn’t have seen the woman getting out of the car. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The woman learned that health and family are more important. |
| B．The woman was poor and couldn’t afford another car and fancy clothes. |
| C．The woman envied the beautiful lady of her capable husband. |
| D．The woman regretted marrying her husband. |
The underlined word “haltingly” probably means________.
| A．proudly | B．excitedly |
| C．difficultly | D．steadily |
Which of the following do you think can be the best title of the passage?
| A．Seeing is believing | B．Trust her heart instead of her look |
| C．Looks can be deceiving | D．Fooled by her look |
Human Capital - How what you know shapes your life
Version: Print （Paperback） Publication date: 20 Feb 2007
Language: English ISBN: 9789264029088 Price: €15￡19 1$10
This book explores the influence of education and learning on our societies and lives and examines what countries are doing to provide education and training to support people throughout their lives．
Economic Policy Reforms -- Going/or Growth, 2007 Edition
Version: Print （Paperback） Publication date: 15 Feb 2007
Language: English ISBN: 9789264030473 Price: €60| ￡75 |$41
Based on a broad set of indicators of structural policies and performance, Going for Growth 2007 takes stock of the recent progress made in implementing policy reforms and identifies, for each OECD country, five policy priorities to lift growth．
Climate Change in the European Alps -- Adapting Winter Tourism and Natural Hazards Management
Version: Print （Paperback） Publication date: 22 Jan 2007
Language: English ISBN: 9789264031685 Price: €24 ￡32$ 17
The first systematic cross-country analysis of snow-reliability of Alpine ski areas under climate change for five countries in the region: France, Switzerland, Austria, Italy and Germany．
OECD in Figures 2006--2007--Statistics on the Member Countries -- OECD Observer
-- Volume 2006 Supplement 1
Version: Print （Paperback） Publication date: 05 Jan 2007
Language: English ISBN: 9789264022638 Price．; €15 |￡20 |$10
A handy pocket reference containing key data covering the entire range of OECD
work including the economy, employment, health, education, migration, the environment, science and technolog y, public finances, agriculture, trade, and development aid．
OECD Economic Outlook -- December No, 80 -- Volume 2006 Issue 2
Version: Print （Paperback） Publication date: 26 Jan 2007
language-English ISBN: 9789264030954 Price: €80 | ￡97|$55
OECD's twice yearly assessment and projections for the economies of the OECD area and selected non-members．This edition also looks at the rise in household debt．Which of the following books was published most lately?
| A．OECD in Figures 2006-2007． |
| B．OECD Economic Outlook． |
| C．Human Capital． |
| D．Climate Change in the European Alps． |
We can learn from the passage that Alps is _______ ．
| A．an Austrian interesting place most attractive in summer seasons |
| B．an European mountain belonging to three countries |
| C．a stadium for skiing lovers from five European countries |
| D．an European mountain famous for its winter skiing |
From the book with ISBN ____ you can get a wider range of information about OEC D．
A．9789264029088 B．9789264022638
C．9789264030954 D．9789264030473You should afford _______ Euro dollars for a book to know about the recent progress in economic policies in the OECD countries．
| A．60 | B．15 | C．55 | D．80 |
All the five books are ______．
| A．written in English |
| B．concerned about OECD countries |
| C．involved with education and economy |
| D．published by the same print |
Geena David knew she wanted to be a movie star when she was very young．She was not sure what gave her the idea, but she wanted to look like a movie star．“I have a lot of pictures from my childhood of me wearing sunglasses,”she says．“I used to wear them to watch TV．”
Early movie actors started wearing sunglasses not because they looked good, but because their eyes hurt．The lights used on movie sets were extremely bright and could cause a painful problem known as “Klieg eyes”．It was named after the Klieg brothers who invented the lights．Actors wore sunglasses to give their eyes a rest．But when movie stars began wearing their sunglasses in public, they quickly became a must．
Eventually actors started wearing sunglasses in their movies as well as on the street．Audrey Hephburn wore ultra-cool Ray-Ban sunglasses in the 1961 movie, Breakfast at Tiffany’s．As a result, Ray-Ban sunglasses started to appear more and more in the movies．In 1979, Ray-Ban “Wayfarers” were worn by Jake and Elwoo d in The Blue Brothers．Tom Cruise wore Ray-Ban “Aviator” sunglasses in the 1986 hit, Top Gun．Then in 1997, Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones made Ray-Ban “Predator” sunglasses famous in Men in Black．
Of course sunglasses aren’t just a fashion statement．The main reason to wear sunglasses is to protect our eyes against UV radiation．UV radiation can damage our eyes, so people now choose their sunglasses carefully．But you don’t have to give up style for safety．The choice of frames and lenses available these days is huge．So you can protect your eyes and still be the coolest person on the beach．What is mainly discussed in this passage?
| A．The use of sunglasses． | B．The history of sunglasses． |
| C．The sunglasses wearing． | D．Why movie stars like to wear sunglasses． |
Why did Geena David like to wear sunglasses?
| A．She was a movie star． |
| B．She wanted to follow a movie star． |
| C．Wearing sunglasses was good for her eyes． |
| D．It was good to wear sunglasses when watching TV． |
Early actors’ eyes hurt because ______．
| A．they wore sunglasses | B．they went out in the sun too much |
| C．the lights on movie sets were too bright | D．their scripts were written in very small writing |
We may know from this passage that ______．
| A．Audrey Hephburn was a famous film star |
| B．Ray-Ban is the name of sunglasses maker |
| C．Sunglasses made Top Gun the hit in 1986 |
| D．Men in Black must be an advertisement of sunglasses |
Now people wear sunglasses ______．
| A．just to protect their eyes | B．for fashion and to protect their eyes |
| C．because of bright lights | D．because movie stars wear them |
AIDS’ Threat to Asia Grows
NEW DELHI----Just a few years ago, Mala was a typical middle-class Indian housewife. She cooked, cleaned and looked after her two small children.
Last year, her life took a tragic turn. Her husband died of AIDS; she was found out HIV-positive and her mother-in-law took her children away from her, saying they would get the disease. “When friends dropped for a visit, she would introduce me, saying, ‘She is my son’s widow. She has AIDS,’” said Mala. AIDS is now described as “explosive(炸药)” around the world. A study of a hospital in the port city of Durban in South Africa, where the world’s biggest and Africa’s second AIDS conference opened last Sunday, found that almost half the beds in medical wards (病房) were occupied by AIDS patients.
South Africa has one of the world’s fastest growing HIV infections, with 1,700 people infected daily, adding to the 4.3 million, or 10 percent of its population, living with HIV. Until now, Asia has been more successful in holding the AIDS virus than Africa, where the disease has killed about 12 million people.
AIDS is now threatening to surround many of Asia’s poverty-stricken countries. Countries in Asia, such as Cambodia, and Thailand, have HIV infection speeds over 1 percent. But the low speeds hide huge numbers of infected people, because of the population base.
In India, for example, 3.7 million are infected, more than in any other country except South Africa. In China, an estimated 860,000 people (the actual number may be a little larger), mainly drug users, live with HIV/AIDS. Gordon Alexander, a senior advisor for UN AIDS in India, estimates that the number hit by AIDS in Asia will climb about eight million over the next five years from about six million.
In many Asian countries, the battle against HIV is a social and cultural one against public discussion of sexual health put a nationwide media campaign into action to limit the speed of HIV through unsafe sex. Brenton Wong, an official for Singapore’s Action for AIDS, says the actual HIV incidence in the city state of 3.9 million people is at least eight times higher than official data. “Shame and deny is still very, very common so people are afraid to get tested and many times won’t even tell their families if they test positive,” said Wong. We can conclude from the underlined sentence in the last paragraph that ______.
A．The official data always tell lies and cheat people to hide the truth. |
| B．3.9 million people in Singapore suffered from AIDS. |
| C．Singapore has a population of 3.9 million |
| D．The number of people infected with HIV is at least eight times larger than that of the AIDS patients in Singapore. |
It is judged that there are ______ people hit by AIDS in Asia or so.
| A．4.3 million | B．6 million | C．8 million | D．3.7 million |
According to the passage, the main reasons that AIDS spread in Asia is through_______.
A． blood |
B．unsafe sex | C．love | D．drugs |
Which of the following statements is not right?
| A．The battle against Aids in many Asian countries is against their culture and social customs. |
| B．Though the HIV infection in Asia develops with low speed, the infected number is still quite large compared to other continents. |
| C．India has the second largest number of HIV infected people. |
| D．Aids might affect the poverty-stricken countries more severely. |
Children are losing the ability to play properly because they are being given too many toys and games, according to new research.
The studies show that children, especially those under five, are often overwhelmed and actually play less than those with fewer toys. It may even harm their development. The studies show that giving children too many toys or toys of the wrong type can actually be doing them harm. They get overwhelmed and cannot concentrate on anything long enough to learn from it.
The conclusions have been backed up by British research looking at children with relatively fewer toys, whose parents spend more
time reading, singing or playing with them. It showed such children surpass(胜过) youngsters from richer backgrounds, even those who could use computers.
Some parents notice the ill effect early. Orhan Ismail, a researcher saw a change for the worse in Cameron, his 10-month-old son, after he was given a lot of toys last Christmas.
Ismail said, “ If there are too many toys in front of him, he will just keep flitting around them and then end up going off and finding something like a slipper to play with. Now we just get out one or two toys and hide the rest in a box.”
Alexander and her husband also decided to limit the toys their 6 daughters play with. She believed many toys restrict children’s imaginations. She said, “ A Barbie can only work as a Barbie. But a cardboard box can become anything. The only limitations are in the child’s mind.”
Experts hesitate to put a figure on the number of toys children should have, but
many believe two dozen is enough for children of preschool age.In the writer’s opinion, a Barbie _____.
| A．can attract more attention from children than a cardboard box |
| B．can work more than a Barbie |
| C．may become anything else such as a cardboard |
| D．may keep children from further imaginations |
Which of the following is TRUE about toys given to children?
| A．too many toys will help children develop wide interests. |
| B．One or two toys at a time will help children concentrate. |
| C．Only wrong types of toys do harm to children. |
| D．The proper number of toys given to the children depends on their ages. |
It may NOT be a good idea to ____.
| A．spend more time reading or playing with children |
| B．choose right types of toys for children |
| C．ask experts for the exact number of necessary toys |
| D．put out one or two toys and hide the rest |
Austin Children’s Museum
This 7,000-square-foot museum aims to entertain and educate children up to age 9. In its Global City exhibit, people can go sh
opping for groceries, order lunch at a diner, pretend that they’re doctors or construction workers, and more. In other fun exhibits, they learn about Austin’s history, explore the world of water, and experience life on a large Texas farm.
Open time: From Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00 a.m.～5:00 p.m.
On Sunday, 12:00 a.m.～5:00 p.m.
Address: 201 Colorado St, Austin, Texas 78701
Phone: 512-4722499
Brooklyn Children’s Museum
Founded in 1899, it is the world’s oldest children’s museum, featuring interactive exhibits, workshops, and special events. The Mystery of Things teaches children about cultural and scientific objects and Music Mix welcomes young virtuosos (名家).
Open time: From Wednesday to Friday, 2:00 p.m.～5:00 p.m.
On Saturday and Sunday, 10:00 a.m.～5:00 p.m.
Address: 145 Brooklyn Ave, Brooklyn, New York 1213
Phone: 718-7354400
Children’s Discovery Museu
m
This museum’s hand-on exhibits explore the relationships between the natural and the created worlds, and among people of different cultures and times. Exhibits include Streets, a 5/8-scale copy of an actual city, with streets lights, and waterworks, which shows how pumps can move water through a reservoir system.
Open time: From Monday to Saturday, 10:00 a.m.～5:00 p.m.
On Sunday, from noon. Closed on holidays.
Address: 180 Woz Way, Guadalupe River Park, San Jose, California 95110
Phone: 408-2985437
Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
This museum is the largest of its kind. Exhibits cover science, culture, space, history, and explorations. Among them are the Space Quest Planetarium (additional fee), the 33-foot-high Water Clock, the Playscape gallery for preschools, and the Dinosphere exhibit, along with hand-on science exhibits.
The largest gallery, the Center for Exploration, is designed for ages 12 and up.
Open time: From Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 a.m.～5:00 p.m.
Closed on Thanksgiving Day and December 25.
Address: 3000 N Meridian St, Indianapolis, Indiana 46208
Phone: 317-3343322Suppose that December 25 is Tuesday, which of the following museums can you visit?
| A．Austin Children’s Museum. | B．Brooklyn Children’s Museum. |
| C．Children’s Discovery Museum. | D．Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. |
If you want to see how pumps can move water through a reservoir system, you should visit the museum in _____.
| A．Texas | B．New York | C．California | D．Indiana |
After entering the museum you need to pay an additional fee to see _____.
| A．the Center for Exploration | B．the Space Quest Planetarium |
| C．the Global City exhibit | D．Waterworks |
Which of the following is not exhibited in Children’s Museum of Indianapolis?
| A．culture | B．history | C．explorations | D．special events |
The purpose of writing this passage is to _____.
| A．ask adults to visit museums |
| B．compare some museums and decide which one is the best |
| C．introduce some museums and encourage parents to visit them with their children |
| D．introduce some exhibits and museums to foreigners |