It is natural that young people are often uncomfortable when they are with their parents. They say that their parents don’t understand them. They often think that their parents are out of touch with modern ways, that they are too serious and too strict with their children, and that they seldom give their children a free hand.
It is true that parents often find it difficult to win their children’s trust and they tend to forget how they themselves felt when young. For example, young people like to act on the spot without much thinking. It is one of their ways to show that they have grown up and they can face any difficult situation. Older people worry more easily. Most of them plan things ahead, at least in the back of their minds, and do not like their plans to be upset by something unexpected. When you want your parents to let you do something, you will have better success if you ask before you really start doing it.
Young people often make their parents angry with their choice in clothes, in entertainment and in music. But they do not mean to cause any trouble: it is just that they feel cut off from the older people’s world, into which they have not yet been accepted. That’s why young people want to make a new culture of their own, and if their parents do not like their music or entertainment or clothes or their way of speech, this will make the young people extremely happy.
Sometimes you are so proud of yourself that you do not want your parents to say, “Yes” to what you do. All you want is to be felt alone and do what you like. It is natural enough, after being a child for so many years, when you were completely under your parents’ control. If you plan to control your life, you’d better win your parents over and try to get them to understand you. If your parents see that you have a high sense of responsibility, they will certainly give you the right to do what you want to do.____are to blame for the quarrels between parents and their children according to this passage.
| A．Parents |
| B．Young people |
| C．Both parents and their children |
| D．Neither parents nor their children |
According to the passage, young people prefer to _______.
| A．do things without thinking carefully ahead. |
| B．ask for advice before they really start to do anything. |
| C．think in the same way as their parents do. |
| D．be very strict with themselves |
According to the passage, young people want to make a new culture of their own because____.
| A．they don’t feel they belong to the world of the older people. |
| B．they do not want to get into trouble. |
| C．they feel they are as clever as old people. |
| D．they want to show they have grown up. |
The underlined word “this” in the third paragraph stands for _______.
| A．the young people’s choice |
| B．their being accepted by their parents |
| C．developing a new culture of their own |
| D．their parents’ dislike of their choice |
If a young man intends to control his own life, it’s better for him to _______.
| A．do everything according to his own wish. |
| B．be responsible for what he does |
| C．do everything beyond his parents’ control |
| D．do everything the way his parents do. |
A lazy Susan is an addition to a table that is designed to assist in moving food from one person to another while dining. This is achieved through the use of a turntable (转盘), which usually moves the food in a circle when it is pushed by those at the table. In this way, the food never has to be picked up and passed around the table. Instead, it remains in place on the lazy Susan.
A lazy Susan may also be a part of a kitchen cabinet (橱柜). In this sense, the lazy Susan is a type of shelving unit within the cabinet that is able to turn around its axis(轴心) . One may turn the lazy Susan in order to find certain goods in storage. From the outside, a lazy Susan appears to be two cabinets that are located at a right angle (直角) to each another. When one of these cabinets is pushed, however, both doors move and the lazy Susan is revealed inside.
It is believed that Thomas Jefferson invented the lazy Susan in the 18th century, though it was called “dumbwaiter” at that time. It is said that Jefferson invented the lazy Susan because his daughter complained she was always served last at table and, as a result, never found herself full when leaving the table. Others believe that Thomas Edison was the inventor, as he is believed to have invented the turntable for his phonograph (留声机). The turntable may have developed into the lazy Susan later.
Regardless of who invented it, it wasn’t until 1917 that the term “lazy Susan” was used in an advertisement for the invention. In Britain, however, the term “dumbwaiter” is still used rather than “lazy Susan”. The reason for the naming of it is still a mystery. One theory is that it was named after either Jefferson’s or Edison’s daughter, both of whom were named Susan.What is a “lazy Susan”?
| A．A waitress | B．A convenient tool | C．A table | D．A cabinet |
According to those who believed Thomas Jefferson invented the lazy Susan, _______.
| A．his daughter was very lazy | B．the lazy Susan didn’t exist until the 18th century |
| C．Thomas Edison was his friend | D．Thomas Edison didn’t invent the phonograph |
We can learn from the last paragraph that ___________.
| A．the lazy Susan can work by itself |
| B．the lazy Susan was named after Thomas Edison’s daughter |
| C．how the lazy Susan got its name remains unknown |
| D．the lazy Susan was invented in Britain |
The writer wrote the passage mainly to _________.
| A．discuss how the lazy Susan was named | B．teach us how to make a lazy Susan |
| C．introduce Thomas Edison’s inventions | D．tell us what a lazy Susan is and its origin |
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About The New Yorker Magazine:
The New Yorker is the eclectic magazine for readers interested in the arts, current events, and culture. The New Yorker includes articles on domestic and international news, exploring current ideas and trends, plus sports, fashion, and entertainment events. In addition, The New Yorker is well known for publishing outstanding short fiction and cartoons with an ironic twist.
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About Playboy Magazine:
Playboy is a magazine of literature, political thought, sports, commentary and humor. Although Playboy is most well-known for its pictorials (插图)of beautiful women, it is also highly regarded for its interviews and fiction writing. Playboy includes regular feature articles on finance, sports, self-improvement, technology, and psychology. You must be 18 or older to order Playboy.
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About Nick Magazine:
Nick is filled with wonderful entertainment for children, ages 6 to 14. It is wholesome (对身心有益的), imaginative, and truly from a child’s point of view. Nick sees the world from your child’s perspective (视角). Share the award-winning entertainment and humor magazine from Nick with your kids.
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About Lucky Magazine:
Lucky is the ultimate shopping magazine with the best looks, the best buys, and the best trends before they hit the stores. But what makes it really unique is all the detailed information you’ll get on how to purchase the merchandise (商品) you’ll find. Lucky provides you with 800 numbers, web site addresses, and more to make your shopping experience easy and convenient! Lucky is your one-stop shopping guide to all the greatest new products on the market. What’s more, it provides wonderful entertainment for women.Which magazine gives buyers the cheapest price according to the advertisements?
| A．The New Yorker | B．Playboy | C．Nick | D．Lucky |
What is the striking feature of the Lucky magazine?
| A．It supplies much entertainment for women and children. |
| B．It contains many outstanding novels and cartoons. |
| C．It is famous for beautiful pictures of beautiful women. |
| D．There’s much detailed information on how to find new products on the market. |
If you are a housewife, which magazine will you probably buy?
A. A. The New Yorker B. LuckyC. Nick D. PlayboyWhat information is contained in all the four magazines?
| A．Sports | B．Entertainment | C．News | D．Trends |
Edward Estlin Cummings was a poet well-known for how he wrote his poems He wrote his poems with capital (大写的) letters in the words . For example, the title of one of his poems is “The little horse is newlY” The “Y” is a capital letter. He also used “i” instead of “I” to refer to himself in the poems.
Edward was born on October14, 1894 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Edward’s father was also named Edward. Young Edward’s mother was named Rebecca. She loved to spend time with her children. She also taught Edward Jr how to write poems. Edward’s sister was born 1896 and her name was Elizabeth. Edward’s father was the first professor of Sociology at Harvard University. He later became the minister of one of Boston’s respected churches. He was the one who taught his son to use his hands as well as his mind. Edward Jr used his hands to paint abstract art.
E.E.Cummings was a very smart boy. Edward was 12 when he became a freshman in high school. He loved circuses, ballets, music and amusement parks.
Edward graduated from Harvard in 1916. During World War I , he joined the army and was sent to France where he drove an ambulance. He and his friend from Harvard were arrested because people thought they were German spies. They were kept in one room where they slept , ate , talked and tried to deal with their fears and boredom. Edward wrote his first book, published in 1922, called The Enormous Room, based on his wartime experiences.
E.E.Cummings was a poet that made his own rules in poetry. He was one of the most popular poets of the 20th century.Which is a special feature of E.E.Cummings’ poems?
| A．Their titles are all written with capital letters. |
| B．A special capital letter is used in them to refer to the writer. |
| C．He used “Y” to refer to “you”. |
| D．He used letters in a special way in them |
What’s the second paragraph mainly about?
| A．Edward’s schooling | B．Edward’s parents |
| C．Edward’s family | D．Edward’s childhood. |
E.E.Cummings was arrested in the war because ___________.
| A．he went to France without permission | B．he looked like a Frenchman |
| C．he was thought to be German agent | D．he drove away a car that belonged to the army |
My granddaughter, Shari, owns The Berry (莓果) Factory in Sacramento, California, and her mother, Joan, and I were helping with the Valentine’s Day rush. We’d dipped (浸泡) hundreds of berries, arranged gift baskets and packaged orders to be shipped around the country.
By the end of the day, the two middle-aged women, Joan and I, were exhausted. Shari didn’t seem tired. That was typical Shari. Though she was very busy, I’d seen her give away berries to everybody — parking attendants, mail carriers and hairdressers. “For me?” they would say, bursting into a smile.
As a “thank you”, Shari took us out for dinner. But there was a 45-minute wait at her favorite restaurant. “No big deal. There’s another place just up the road,” she said, driving us there. This time we walked right in.
When the waitress came to take our drink orders, Shari reached into her handbag, pulling something out. “I want you to have these,” she said, handing the waitress a box of chocolate-dipped strawberries. “She will love those berries!” I thought. But the waitress seemed startled. She only let out a “thank you” before grabbing the box and rushing into the kitchen.
A few minutes later, the waitress returned with our iced tea. “I apologize,” she said. “My best friend and I had promised to send each other something every Valentine’s Day. But she passed away last year. I didn’t know how I’d get through this day without her. Then you handed me that box.”“I’m so sorry to hear that,” said Shari. “It’s not much, but I hope you can enjoy them.”“Oh, I will,” the waitress said. “See, every year we always sent each other the same thing; a box of chocolate-dipped strawberries bought from our favourite store, The Berry Factory.”What can be inferred in the first paragraph?
| A．The Berry Factory is a gift store |
| B．The Berry Factory has few shop clerks. |
| C．The Berry Factory has many branches around the country |
| D．The Berry Factory has customers from different parts of the country. |
Which of the following words can best describe Shari?
| A．Talkative | B．Creative | C．Kind-hearted | D．Well-known |
The underlined word “startled” in Paragraph 4 probably means _________.
| A．shocked | B．excited | C．tired | D．frightened |
We can learn from the last paragraph that _________.
| A．the waitress’ best friend didn’t like chocolate |
| B．the waitress’ best friend broke up with her |
| C．the waitress’ best friend worked for Shari |
| D．the waitress’ best friend was Shari’s customer |
“Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity，” said the American talk show host Oprah Winfrey. I’ ve never watched her show, but when a self-made billionaire gives life advice it’ s probably worth listening to.
Her point is that blind luck is very rare. You may have to be lucky to find a good job these days but that does not mean you should sit at home waiting for the opportunity to come to you. If you’ re a Chinese，you may already be familiar with the tale of a farmer waiting by a tree stump (树桩) for a rabbit to run out and break its neck.
A book by the UK psychologist Richard Wiseman, called The Luck Factor, argues we can all make ourselves luckier. It’ s not about going to a temple to burn some incense (香) in hopes that the gods will give you good fortune; it’ s practical advice you can follow each day.
Wiseman conducted an experiment as part of his studies. First he divided volunteers into two groups：those who said they were lucky in life and those who said they were not. He gave everyone a newspaper and asked them to look through it to count how many photographs it had inside. On average, the unlucky people took about two minutes to count the photographs while the lucky people took just seconds. Why? On the second page of the newspaper, a command, “Stop counting. There are 43 photographs in this newspaper，” was written in big letters. The unlucky people mostly did not spotthe message.
It’s easy to compare this situation to a young person looking for jobs in a local paper. They might search so hard for one type of position that they miss an even better opportunity. People who are “lucky”， in fact, keep an open mind and don’t go through the same routine every day.
I first came to China in 2002 when it was considered a rather strange thing to do. Like many foreigners，my plan was to teach English for one year. Seven years later, and still here, I’ ve had many great opportunities such as writing for newspapers and magazines. I did not dream these would have been possible. I’ ve also never been sick, had an accident, got into a fight or had problems with the police. Coincidence(巧合)? After reading about Professor Wiseman’ s studies I think not.
As Wiseman advises, I usually trust my own judgment. Your friends and parents may give you advice based on rational (理性)thinking, but it’s important to consider how you feel about each choice you make. Your feeling acts as a warning for a potential （潜在）problem.
Finally, try to turn bad luck into good. Even if you do fall down and break a leg, the time spent at home can be used wisely to study English.Which of the following proverbs most agrees with the writer’ s point?
| A．Make the best of a bad job. |
| B．Rome was not built in a day. |
| C．All is not gold that glitters. |
| D．A good heart conquers ill fortune. |
What do you know about Oprah Winfrey?
| A．She became famous through her family background. |
| B．She was very lucky and seldom suffered setbacks （挫折）in her life. |
| C．She is a British talk show host. |
| D．She became successful by her own effort. |
The writer quoted（引用） the Chinese tale of a farmer in order to show________.
| A．luck is in your own hand |
| B．bad luck can turn into good |
| C．you should not sit at home waiting for the opportunity to come to you |
| D．man can conquer nature |
From the experiment Wiseman drew the conclusion that________.
| A．lucky people are quick-minded |
| B．unlucky people are slow to read |
| C．lucky people often have an open mind |
| D．unlucky people are more creative |
The underlined word “spot” is the closest in meaning to“________”．
| A．discover | B．mark | C．make | D．receive |