During the last fifteen years of my mother's life she suffered with Alzheimer's disease (老年痴呆). Until then she had been a bright, cheerful woman deeply interested and involved in the world around her. I would go home to visit her in Virginia and she would look at me in a puzzled way and ask, “Who are you?” I would answer, “I'm your son.” “Where do you live?” She would ask. “In California”, I would tell her. “Isn't that interesting,” she would say, “I have a son in California.”
She seemed simply forgetful and confused at the beginning of the disease, but later on she would go through periods of intense anxiety. She would pace through the house she had lived in most of her life crying uneasily that she wanted to go home. Or she would leave home and wander away if she were unattended for a short time.
Hoping to please her and put her mind at ease I would take her for a drive, visiting sites where she had lived as a child. In the yard of the hillside house in Shipman I sat in the car and admired the view of the old oaks and long green lawn. I pictured my mother there was a little girl playing with the pet lamb she had been so fond of. I looked to her for some response. She shook her head and said, “I want to go home.”
Over the years I have decided that what my mother was calling home was not a place, but a time. I suspect it was a time when she was much younger, when her children were still underfoot, when her husband was still vigorous and attentive.
Watching my mother's suffering set me wondering where I would have gone in mind if someday I couldn’t find home and wanted to go there. In this family we tend to be long-lived and we grow fuzzy (糊涂的) minded as the years go by. At eighty I have already noticed some alarming symptoms. My doctor says the forgetfulness is only natural and that it comes with age. Still the fear of Alzheimer's is haunting there. Someday if and when I become even more cloudy minded than I am now, unable to drive and unable to tell you where "home" is, my dear son, I expect I will ask you to take me home, I know you will do your best to find the place I need to be. I leave these notes for your guidance.What's the main idea of the first two paragraphs?
| A．The author’s mother suffered with serious Alzheimer's disease. |
| B．The author’s mother forgot who’s his son. |
| C．The author didn’t know how to cure his mother. |
| D．The author’s mother couldn’t find her home. |
What is not the symptom of the author’s mother ?
| A．cheerful | B．confused | C．forgetful | D．uneasy |
What’s the meaning of the underlined word “pictured”?
| A．photographed | B．appeared | C．described | D．painted |
What can you infer from the third paragraph?
| A．The author care much about his mother. |
| B．The author’s mother was fond of pet lambs. |
| C．The author saw a little girl playing with a pet lamb. |
| D．The author’s mother didn’t like her usual home. |
What’s the best title of the passage?
| A．Take Mother Home. |
| B．Everyone will suffer with Alzheimer's disease. |
| C．A story about a son and a mother. |
| D．Where Is Home? |
Maurice Sendak’s children’s book, Where the Wild Things Are, published in 1963, has become very successful throughout the years and was made into a movie earlier this year.
The book’s main character is a boy named Max who gets into trouble with his mother and is sent to bed without any supper. Before long, Max’s room magically becomes a forest, and he sails away to a land where monsters(怪物，怪兽) live. Max isn’t scared, though, and becomes king of the wild things, but after a while, he begins feeling homesick. Max sails back home and his supper is still hot when he arrives in his bedroom.
Many teachers and professors like this story and use it to help children develop creativity and imagination. Melina Davis, an education professor, said she likes how the book contains a couple of pages that have only pictures on them. “This allows children to shape the story themselves,” she said.
The book contains a few of larger words that some parents worry may confuse children, but experts say those words help improve children’s reading skills and challenge them.
Davis said the book is well written which helps kids get involved in the story. “The book talks about what all children go through, like ‘I was naughty but my mommy still loves me’,” Davis said.
The book also encourages children to face their fears. “I think it’s really good to show that Max makes friends with the monsters,” Davis said. “Kids can find out monsters aren’t always the thing under the bed that’s going to scare them. I think this is good because it shows that the children can go to scary places but still have a positive experience.”
Since the book has been successful throughout the years, a movie was recently made and many people are excited to see it. Davis said she thinks the movie will be wonderful but it might be a little scary for younger children. “You don’t want bad dreams over a book that’s extremely wonderful,” Davis said.Teachers and professors like the book because it helps children ______.
| A．understand pictures | B．improve reading skills |
| C．face their fear bravely | D．become more imaginative |
Why does the book contain some larger words?
| A．To make the story more formal. |
| B．To help challenge the children’s reading skills |
| C．To encourage children to learn more new words. |
| D．To help children better understand the story. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The character Max is brave enough in the story. |
| B．Max was sent to the forest as punishment. |
| C．People of all ages are in favor of the book. |
| D．The movie based on the book proves to be a great success. |
What does Davis think of the movie?
| A．She thinks children of all ages will love it. |
| B．She encourages children to see it to fight against their fear. |
| C．She worries that it might be too frightening for some children. |
| D．She believes it will be a better choice for children than the book. |
What’s the author’s purpose in writing the passage?
| A．To advise parents to help children to improve their reading skills. |
| B．To comment on a famous children’s book. |
| C．To encourage children to face their fear and become more imaginative. |
| D．To introduce a movie based on a children’s book. |
Since the end of World War I in 1918, Canadians, and millions of others around the world have paused at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month to honour the sacrifices our soldiers have made in different wars, fighting for the freedoms that we all enjoy today.
Known as Remembrance Day, the day originated as a tribute to the soldiers of WWI, a dark period for our young country, which claimed the lives of over 60,000 military personnel and civilians and over 16 million dead worldwide.
As there are no more surviving soldiers of WWI, today we rely on the wisdom and words of those soldiers who fought in the wars that followed, and this day now also recognizes their heroic contribution.
They tell us to always remember what those brave souls fought for, and all they ask in return is that we never forget.
That's why we wear the red poppy (罂粟花); that's why when we see a soldier in uniform we should stop him or her and say "Thank you"; that's why we take a pause from our busy lives for two short minutes today to honor that request.
Yet this message is fading away, year after year.
Take for example the terrible decision to allow parents to excuse students from Remembrance Day ceremonies at school.
Not only is this disrespectful, but it distances the student from his or her classmates.
It is difficult to understand why any Canadian parent would want to remove their child from the time-honored tradition of reading the poem In Flanders Fields, while a wreath of poppies is laid.
It is more important than ever to teach school-aged children about our history, no matter how violent it was. Preventing them from knowing about the realities of war is a great disservice.
Understanding why conflicts(冲突）happened, or happen today, can help shape choices and decisions they make as adults.
Of course, because we live in a free society, we cannot force an individual to do something.
It is unfortunate, but some parents now have their child "opt-out" of the services. These people should be reminded they are free to make such choices only because of the men and women the rest of us are remembering.Which of the following is true about Remembrance Day?
| A．It's only held in Canada. |
| B．Its ceremony lasts 11 hours. |
| C．It falls on November 11th each year. |
| D．It's to celebrate the country's independence. |
Which of the following is Not mentioned as a Remembrance Day activity today?
| A．Stopping at 11 a.m. to remember the war dead. |
| B．Listening to stories told by WWI soldiers. |
| C．Wearing a red poppy to show respect. |
| D．Showing gratitude to soldiers in uniform. |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．War history is too violent for school children. |
| B．The writer was once a soldier in the Canadian army. |
| C．Few students are willing to take part in Remembrance Day ceremonies. |
| D．More parents are keeping their children away from frightening war stories. |
The underlined word "It" in the last paragraph probably refers to ______.
| A．the death of so many soldiers in wars |
| B．the fact that there were so many wars after WWI |
| C．people's ungratefulness for the freedom they have |
| D．removing children from Remembrance Day events. |
The writer believes that ______.
| A．the sacrifice of the soldiers should always be remembered |
| B．Remembrance Day is becoming less important for soldiers |
| C．schools no longer think Remembrance Day is necessary |
| D．people should be forced to learn about the realities of war |
Researchers at the University of Bedforshire have developed a new technique for powering electronic device（装置）. The system, developed by Professor Ben Allen at the Centre for Wireless Research, uses radio waves as power.
Believed to be a world first, the team claims it could eventually get rid of the need for conventional batteries. The university has now applied for a patent(专利) application to secure the only rights to the technique.
Professor Allen and his team have created a system to use medium wave frequencies to replace batteries in small everyday devices like clocks and remote controls.
The new technique uses the “waste” energy of radio waves and has been developed as part of the university’s research into “power harvesting”. Professor Allen said that as radio waves have energy---like light waves, sound waves or wind waves---in theory, these waves could be used to create power.
“The new area of power harvesting technology promises to reduce our reliance on conventional batteries,” he said. “It’s really exciting way of taking power from sources other than what we would normally think of.”
The team is now waiting for the results of the patent application to secure recognition of the technique. Professor Allen said that the team’s achievements had all been done in their “spare time”. “Our next stage is to try and raise some real funds so that we can take this work forward and make a working pattern and maybe partner up with the right people and take this to a full product in due course,” he said.
“Power harvesting has a really important part in our future, because, just in this country, we leave somewhere between 20,000 and 30,000 tons of batteries in landfill（垃圾填埋）sites every single year－that is poisonous chemicals going into the ground.”
He added that development of the product could also be “commercially（商业） beneficial”. “The market for this is several billion pounds. We’ve seen market predictions for 2020 which have these kinds of figures, so there’s a lot of commercial potential in this area,” he said.
Pro-Vice Chancellor at the University of Bedfordshire, Professor Carsten Maple said, “This type of work is a reflection of the university’s growing reputation and experience in carrying out creating research.”From the text we know the new technique for powering electronic devices_____.
| A．can be applied to all electronic devices. |
| B．uses radio waves to create power. |
| C．has replaced conventional batteries. |
| D．produces many poisonous chemicals. |
According to Professor Allen, power harvesting technology______.
| A．makes every use of radio waves. |
| B．takes power from usual sources. |
| C．reduces our dependency on conventional batteries. |
| D．aims at huge commercial benefits. |
What can we learn about Professor Allen and his team from the text?
| A．They have made use of radio waves in their daily life. |
| B．They have raised a big fund to support their research. |
| C．They have gained a patent for their new technology. |
| D．They mainly did their research in their spare time. |
What is Professor Carsten Maple’s attitude toward the new technique?
| A．Critical. | B．Favorable. |
| C．Disapproving. | D．Negative. |
What is the text mainly about?
| A．A new technique to create power. |
| B．A big problem concerning conventional batteries. |
| C．Some special sources of power. |
| D．The development of power harvesting. |
Zoos divide opinion: there are those who think it is cruel to keep animals locked up while others believe zoos are essential for the survival of endangered species.
To argue that zoos imprison animals is to misunderstand what zoos are about. Without zoos many of the creatures we love and admire would no longer exist. Every single day, over one hundred animal species vanish. Scientists predict that as early as 2050 one quarter of the Earth’s species will become extinct.
Some animals are in danger because they are hunted. Alarmingly the population of tigers has already fallen by ninety-five percent. Other species are in danger because of a lack of food. For example, there are fewer than 1300 giant pandas left in the wild.
Zoos have special breeding programmes to help those animals at risk. These breeding programmes are proving extremely successful. As Irene Shapiro from Zoo and Wildlife Support says, “the Puerto Rican Parrot has grown in numbers from just thirteen to about eighty-five and the Golden Lion Tamarin Monkey, which has almost ceased to exist twenty years ago, has been reintroduced back into the wild.”
Unfortunately not everyone understands this important role zoos play. For example, Brian Featherstone from the Anti-Zoo Forum says, “I can’t believe we take animals from the wild and put them in cages for the entertainment of the public! We should view them on film or TV in their natural environment.”
However, this misses the point. A zoo does more than display animals to the public. It ensures their survival. Without zoos you would not be able to see many of these animals on TV or anywhere else!What’s the writer’s attitude towards zoos?
| A．He shows no opinion either for or against them. |
| B．He thinks that they are unnecessary and cruel. |
| C．He believes they play an important environmental role. |
| D．He expresses a desire that more of them be built. |
The underlined word “vanish” in Paragraph 2 most probably means _____.
| A．remain | B．disappear |
| C．become rarer | D．get killed |
According to the passage the world’s tiger population _____.
| A．will rise by 5% next year |
| B．is relatively stable |
| C．is 95% smaller than in the past |
| D．has fallen to 95% |
According to the passage some people do not agree with zoos because they _____.
| A．are too expensive to run | B．put animals in danger |
| C．do not provide enough food | D．keep animals locked up |
According to the writer, the most important function of the zoo is to _____.
| A．make a lot of money | B．entertain visitors |
| C．ensure animals’ survival | D．educate the public |
You wake up in the morning, the day is beautiful and the plans for the day are what you have been looking forward to for a long time. Then the telephone rings, you say hello, and the play starts. The person on the other end has a sad tone in his voice as he starts to tell you how terrible his morning is and that there is nothing to look forward to. Yon are still in a wonderful mood(心情)? Impossible!
Communicating with negative people can wash out your happiness. It may not change what you think, but communicating long enough with them will make you feel unhappy for a moment or a long time.
Life brings ups and downs, but some people are trapped in the wrong idea that life has no happiness to offer. They only feel glad when they make others feel bad. It is not strange that they can hardly win others’ pity or respect.
When you communicate with happy people，you will stay happy. When the knife of a negative person is put in you, you feel the heavy feeling that, all in all, brings you down.
Sometimes we have no choice but to communicate with negative people. This could be a co-worker, or relative. In this situation, say what needs to be said as little as possible. Sometimes it feels good to let out your anger back to the negative person，but all this cannot reduce your bad feelings and they won’t feel ashamed(羞愧) of themselves about that.
Unhappiness often influences happiness without even being realized. The depressing(令人沮丧的) words of another at the start of the day can be with you throughout the rest of your day，which makes you feel bad and steals your happiness. Life is too short to feel unhappy.
| A．make a comparison(比较) | B．offer an evidence(证据) |
| C．introduce a topic | D．describe a daily scene |
| A．By influencing our feelings. |
| B．By telling people the nature of life. |
| C．By changing our way of thinking. |
| D．By comparing their attitude to life with ours. |
| A．other people’s pity for them | B．making other people unhappy |
| C．holding an active attitude | D．other people’s respect for them |
| A．to change negative people’s attitude to life |
| B．to show our dislike to negative people |
| C．to make negative people feel ashamed of themselves |
| D．to communicate with negative people as little as possible |